Two Souls, One Journey
by johnsonmiranda70
Summary: Randy Orton is one of the top mercenaries in a dangerous supernatural organization known for working in the shadows. When he is assigned the task to protect a woman that could become a game changer to any who capture her for her power, he'll soon find himself on a path that he could never dream of, fending off many dangers & eventually facing his biggest obstacle ever: love.
1. Night Hunt

Chapter 1: Night Hunt

The moon hung high above the city skyline, casting its bright light all across the large metropolis, which was barely awake except for the few cars, shops, and clubs that continued on like it was still daylight out.

In an old, industrial part of town, a pudgy, middle-aged man with a receding hairline ran like his life depended on it through the dark streets, his breathing ragged as he checked over his shoulder to see if anyone was running after him.

"Get away . . . I got to . . . get away!" the man whispered to himself in a tired breath, his voice barely audible due to his fear of the thing that was coming after him. When he reached an intersection illuminated with one lone streetlamp, he turned and ran to his left, running past storage warehouse after storage warehouse as he continued to push himself forward, his tired legs aching with every step he took.

The man eventually stopped by an old fire hydrant, the color already nonexistent due to years of wear and tear. He clutched the top of it with his left hand, holding it like a lifeline as he tried to steady his breathing. He wasn't granted his reprieve for long, as the sound of footsteps slowly reached his ears. The footsteps grew louder with each coming step, the sound making the man's blood run cold as he felt his bottom lip tremble. He knew that the footsteps were coming from somewhere behind him, but he was too scared to look, too scared to stare death straight in the face.

"_C'mon Heyman . . ." _the man thought to himself as the footsteps continued toward him. _"Maybe it's not him . . . Maybe it's just some random stranger walking through the area. Yeah . . . that's it . . ."_

"Hello Heyman . . ."

"_Aw shit!"_ the man exclaimed in his head as he slowly turned around to come face to face with a pair of intense ice blue eyes, the other man's stare boring down on him as if he was the most hated man on the planet. The owner of the eyes was taller than Heyman, which made his stare that much more intimidating.

"_I'm freaking doomed . . ." _Heyman thought in his head as he took a step backward, which the other man responded to by taking a step forward. A corner of the other man's lip began to curve upward until it settled into a knowing smirk, as if he heard what Heyman had just thought of in his mind. _". . . Yep, I'm freaking doomed."_

Heyman began to turn around in order to make a break for it, but as soon as he took his eyes off the man, he felt the back of his neck get clasped in a fierce hold, the pudgy man letting out a sharp yell in response. The man's eyesight then blurred, the wind rushing past his ears as a sudden feeling of weightlessness overcame him, his mind unable to comprehend what was happening to him till mere minutes later when he was unceremoniously dropped to the ground. Heyman blinked his eyesight back into focus, gasping when he realized that he was no longer in the city's industrial area, surrounded by warehouses. He was now surrounded by trees and bushes, the tall city skyscrapers stretching out into the dark sky behind them.

"Where . . . Where am I?" said Heyman as he looked around at his surroundings, practically jumping out of shoes when he noticed that the man with the ice blue eyes was still with him, standing about three feet away from him with his arms crossed over his chest.

"We're in Correa Park," answered the blue eyed man, his voice deep and stoic as he let a small chuckle pass his lips. It was a harmless laugh, but it scared the pudgy man to death. "I figured you deserved a more pleasant place to die at than the warehouses we were previously surrounded by. Besides, warehouses are just too typical a place to dispose dead bodies at, don't you think?"

"Please don't kill me . . ." said Heyman as he quickly climbed up to his full height, his hands raised up in surrender as he looked at the other man warily. "I didn't do anything, I swear."

"Oh Heyman, Heyman, Heyman," said the man as he slowly shook his head. "You should have said that before you went ahead and swindled the boss out of a good 500 grand. You know as well as I do that he hates it when his own workers steal from him . . . Wasn't the payment you usually got enough?"

"I was just doing what I could in order to take care of my family," said Heyman as he shook his head. "I was just trying to make their lives better."

"Uh huh . . . you know it's hard for me to believe that right?" asked the blue eyed man as he raised an eyebrow. "Your story can't fool me Heyman."

"I'm being honest," argued Heyman as he rubbed a hand against his slick back hair. "You have to believe me Orton!"

"Sorry, but I can't," said Orton as he still looked unconvinced. ". . . Mostly because you've been lying straight to my face ever since this conversation started."

"You think I'm lying to you?" asked Heyman, his voice sounding like he was forcing his shock to show. "Randy . . . You know I've always been straightforward with you."

"And yet, you're lying to me now. Me, a freaking vampire," said Randy as he showed off a rare grin, one that showcased all his teeth, including a pair of sharp canines that made Heyman go pale white just at the sight of them. "I can hear your heartbeat Paul. It's going faster than normal, the kind of fast that tells me when someone is lying."

"I . . . I'm, I'm not lying Randy," said Paul as Randy began to approach him, taking one calculated step after another as Heyman began to retreat backward, his eyes on the taller man the entire time. "I . . . I just suffer from an irregular heartbeat."

"I see, I see . . ." said Randy as he suddenly appeared behind Heyman, scaring the smaller man so much that he tripped on his own two feet and fell to the ground, ass first. "Well Heyman, let's see if you'll suffer from this."

Heyman didn't have enough time to react to what Randy did next. The taller man violently grabbed Heyman by the neck and threw him over his shoulders effortlessly, as if he was handling a small bag of flour. Paul flew a good thirty feet into the air before crashing down to earth with a sickening thud. His lungs gasped for air as his vision blurred, his back aching in pain as he slowly tried to sit up.

"Huh . . . I had a feeling that you would survive that throw Heyman," said Randy as he quickly covered the distance between them at blinding speed, reappearing right in front of the injured man with a stoic expression on his chiseled face. "I'm just surprised you're trying to sit up so soon after the hard impact."

"Well . . . My body is hardier than most people's own," grumbled the smaller man as he finally sat up. "Is that the best you could do to me?"

"I see you have a death wish after all . . ." said Randy as he gently stepped on Heyman's left leg, a hitched breath escaping past the smaller man's lips in response. He then pushed downward, the sudden movement resulting in a sharp cracking noise echoing through either man's ears. Heyman let out a sharp yell, the pain from his broken leg shooting to all parts of his body. Randy let a small smirk grace his face once again as he continued the pressure on Paul's damaged appendage. "Trust me; it just gets worse from here."

"Worse?" asked Heyman as he clutched at Randy's foot, but it wouldn't budge an inch. "I'm just a man trying to support his family here man."

"And there you go, lying to me once again . . . I guess my throw really did rattle some brain cells in that corrupted noggin of yours. You're just saying that in a futile attempt to preserve your own life," said Randy as he shook his head. "You haven't been using the money you stole in order to help your family Heyman . . . On the contrary, you've been using it to finance your trips to the casinos, bars, and strip clubs you just love to frequent whenever you can. . . Besides, your wife took your kids and left your sorry ass months ago after she got wind of your little affair with that nice little brunette from Ricky's uptown . . . Her name was Cori right?"

"How . . . How did you know all that?" Heyman asked as his eyes widened in shock. "I was so careful . . . I was so careful to hide it all."

"Well . . . Hunter couldn't help but pry into your mind just a little," answered Randy as he did a small shrug. "In fact, it was Hunter himself who told your wife all about your dirty deeds. He genuinely felt bad for her and thought she had a right to know that her husband is just a lying, cheating skumbag . . . You really need to keep that mind of yours quiet around Hunter. Any info you have could be easily used against you when you're around him, no matter how damaging it is.

"Was that the same for you?"

Randy went silent at the sound of Heyman's question. He narrowed his eyes at the smaller man as he finally realized his leg, his mouth falling into a hard line as he began to circle him, like a predator stalking his prey.

"What do you mean Paul?" Orton asked as he placed a hand into his coat pocket, his stare boring down onto the man that was practically a full head shorter than him.

"I mean what I said: Was it the same for you?" asked Heyman as he let out a small breath "I've been in this business a lot longer than you have Orton. I was there when you first came to the group over a decade ago. . . You were so cocky, so arrogant, so determined to be the best, and then five years after you arrived, the cocky, arrogant bastard you once were just . . . disappeared. You became this steely eyed shoulder that basically did as he was told, well . . . with the occasional sarcastic complaint here and there. . . Why'd you change?"

"I didn't really change," Randy answered him with a serious look on his face. "I just became realistic . . . If I continued to act the way I did, I wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon."

"Was it because of her?" Heyman asked as he let a knowing look come across his face, his eyes following Randy's as he looked away quickly, as if he had suddenly slapped him in the face. "Was it because of Samantha?"

Randy instantly responded to his question by giving Heyman one hard slap to the face, catapulting a few of the man's teeth right out of his gums in the process. Heyman eventually spat out a wad of blood before turning back around to face the blue eyed man, who was giving him a look that could only be described as pure outright hatred.

"Don't you dare say her name like you two were friends!" warned Randy as his fangs began to extend out of his gums. "You never met her . . . You never knew her . . ."

"No . . . No I didn't," said Heyman as he shook his head, visibly wincing when the searing pain of Randy's slap began to reverberate through his skull. "But you talked about her in such a way that made everyone feel like they knew her . . . Hmm, now that I think about it . . . maybe it was your big mouth that killed her."

Paul Heyman didn't have enough time to regret what he said. He didn't even have enough time to say 'sorry' before Randy killed him, clasping both hands around his fat neck and crushing his throat in order to do the job. Once the blood began to spill out of Heyman's mouth and his eyes rolled into the back of his head, Randy let go of the dead body so that I could fall to the ground, the rage on his face slowly disappearing as he brought his thoughts back into focus.

"You really know how to silence a man when he pisses you off, huh Randy?"

Randy slowly turned around to see two men standing a few feet away from him. They were both dressed in all black and had serious expressions on their faces, their gazes switching between Randy and the dead body on the ground.

"I know Heyman was stupid enough to mention you know who straight to your face," said the man with the bad looking moustache on his face as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "But did you have to kill the guy so out in the open?"

"It's the middle of the night Cody," Randy said in a tone that told the two he didn't want to argue with them. "Most people believe it's too dangerous to come to a park at this time of night, due to many reasons, most of them more bad than good."

"Hey, even if there's that, you still have to be careful," said the other man as he shook his head. "Most people don't come to the park in the middle of the night, but cops do. A cop could have easily spotted you killing Heyman here while he was patrolling. What would happen then huh?"

"If the cop had some common sense, he would just go on his way and forget that he saw anything," Randy answered him simply as he walked over to the two shorter men. "If he didn't do that, well . . . he would have to answer to me now wouldn't he Ted?"

"Well, it's nice to know that you've thought everything through," said Ted as he shook his head, sarcasm dripping from his voice as Randy began to walk away. "Uh hello . . . Aren't you forgetting something?" he further asked as he pointed to the dead body.

"If you're talking about Heyman, don't worry about it . . ." said Randy as he continued walking onward. "Maddox will find him before the sun rises. The body will be gone before daylight breaks for sure."

"Are you heading back to the hideout?" asked Cody as he and Ted quickly followed after their taller comrade.

"I'm calling it a night . . ." said Randy as he stepped onto the stone walkway that led to the park's exit. "I've done my job . . . I got nothing else to do."

"If you have nothing else to do, then you can come along with Cody and I to that new hotspot on Waverly Drive," said Ted as he wrapped an arm around Randy's shoulder, but quickly took it back when Randy sent him a sharp look in return. "Or . . . maybe not."

"Like I said before: I'm calling it a night . . ." said Randy as he shook his head as the three walked out of the park. "I don't feel like partying tonight."

"Suit yourself . . ." mumbled Ted as he shook his head. "I guess it's just you and me tonight Cody . . . Cody?"

"I heard you Ted . . ." said Cody as he looked across the street. "I was just looking at the three sexy ladies walking across the street from us."

"Say what now?" asked Ted as he and Randy turned to look across the street. The three men looked across the wide six lane street to see three women walking on the sidewalk in the opposite direction. "Oh . . . Now I see what you're talking about . . . You're right Cody, those three ladies over there are quite sexy."

"I know right . . ." said Cody as a small smirk came across his face. "I'm particularly fancied with the girl with the two toned hairstyle. I can hear her Southern accent from here, and it's quite beautiful if you ask me . . ."

"You mean the girl that's part blonde and part brunette?" asked Ted as he raised an eyebrow. "She's quite hot, if you're into girls that look bodybuilders. I'm actually into the tall blonde she's talking to, but then again . . . the girl behind the first two is quite stunning in her own right."

Randy followed Ted's line of sight, his eyes looking at the third woman, who was taller than either than her friends. She remained silent as she followed after her friends in her black strappy heels and black trench coat, the hemline of a purple minidress peeking out from the bottom of the coat. Randy couldn't help but notice the girl's stoic expression that stood out on the woman's angular face, her piercing blue eyes and cocoa colored skin her two defining features as she looked forward.

"That woman is quite the tall lady. Without the hells, I think it's a safe bet that she's taller than six feet. Wouldn't you agree Randy?" asked Cody as he turned to the other man. Randy only turned to him in silence before walking away. "What's eating him up?'

"Who knows . . ." mumbles ted as he shook his head. "C'mon Cody, we got some partying to do."

"That we do, that we do it . . ." said Cody as he pat his friend on the back. "Let's go."

The two men disappeared just as fast as they reappeared, both of them chuckling in their wake as they disappeared in a blur. Randy, on the other hand, continued to walk away, his eyes showing faint curiosity as the image of the dark-skinned girl with the piercing blue eyes continued to stay in his mind.

**Please review!**


	2. The Roommate

Chapter 2: The Roommate

"Heyman's dead, just like you wanted," said Randy as spoke into his phone's receiver as he walked along a quiet street lined with old residential homes and small warehouses alike. He wore an agitated scowl on his face as he listened to the husky chuckling sound that was coming from the man on the other side of the line, his patience starting to wear thin. "When will I get my payment?"

"You'll get it soon Randy," said the deep husky voice as he finally recovered from his chuckling fit. "Just be patient . . . The money will be in your account by morning."

"It better be there Hunter," grumbled Randy as he watched as a stray cat darted out from a driveway to run across the street, eventually disappearing into another house's half-withered flowerbed. "You know I hate it when you're late with my payment."

"I know, I know . . . that's why I'm wiring it to your account right as we speak," Hunter answered him calmly as Randy crossed the street, eventually reaching the last block on the road. The tall, blue eyed man walked toward the door of the lone property on the block, a long two story warehouse that had a dilapidated parking lot as its lone block-mate. "So, what did you do with Heyman's body, if I may be so bold to ask?"

"Maddox should be handling the body right about now," answered Randy as he took out a silver key from his pants pocket. He inserted it into the lock and turned the key with a quick movement of his wrist, the door opening just a crack as it was finally set free from the old doorway. "That weasel should have the body dealt with by morning. You know him Hunter, Maddox is really diligent when it comes to disposing bodies."

"He usually is . . ." Hunter answered him in agreement as Randy walked into the building, closing the door behind him and locking it before starting his climb up a set of old wooden steps. "Anyway, I suggest you lay low for a while Randy. . . It won't be long before Lesnar gets wind of the fact that you just killed his advocate."

"I'm not scared of Lesnar," Randy told the other man indignantly as he took the steps two at a time, reaching the top of the stairs in less than half a minute. "He may be known as the Beast Incarnate for being a ruthless killer when he's out in the field, but all I see when I look at him is a scared little boy who needs a fat old man to be his freaking mouthpiece."

"I'd like to see you say that to his face Ran. I really do . . ." said Hunter as Randy reached another closed door. It didn't take him long to open it, considering it was already unlocked, so he simply turned the doorknob and went inside, walking into his well-furnished, and dark, apartment. "If you guys get into a fight, I'd love to see who would win. I could even sell tickets. 'The Beast Incarnate' Brock Lesnar vs. 'The Viper' Randy Orton, and only one would survive . . . Now that, that would be a great match."

"Like you would ever let that happen," Randy argued as he flipped on a light switch, illuminating the rather large space in a dim light, one that was easy on his vampire-heightened eyes. "You hate losing employees, especially the good ones that serve the organization well . . ."

"That I do . . . However, Brock does tend to stray off the beaten path from time to time," said Hunter as Randy walked into his kitchen. The kitchen contained the usual commodities that typical kitchens had to offer: a toaster, a microwave, cabinets, and most important them of all, a fridge, albeit an old one. Randy walked over to the fridge and opened it to look inside. A scowl once again came across his face as he looked at the contents within the fridge's confines. All that was in there were cheese slices, three apples, an old carton of takeout, and two bottles of beer. Randy took one of the bottles and slammed the fridge shut, twisting off the cap with his bare hand. "Anyway, I guess telling you to lay low until Lesnar gets over Heyman's death was all in vain . . . You'll get the details of your next mission tomorrow. Have a good night Orton."

"Yeah, yeah . . . You too Hunter." grumbled Randy as he ended the call from his side. He pocketed his phone as he took one big swig of his beer, the taste barely registering to him as he poured the contents down his throat.

"What's the point of eating human food and drinking human drinks if you can't even taste their flavors? I thought the only thing vampires had for food was blood."

"What bad misconceptions you have when it comes to the vampire race John . . ." mumbled Randy as he turned to look at the kitchen's only exit. His eyes went straight to the man leaning against the doorframe. He was shorter than Randy, and a little stockier than the taller male, his muscled arms prevalent thanks to the sleeveless white t-shirt and black basketball shorts he wore. "A vampire's five sense are heightened and more sensitive than a regular humans, which means food and drinks can taste better, or worse, to me than they will for you. It's true that vampires must drink blood in order to survive, but we can still eat like normal humans can, well, if we want to."

"As long as you drink blood?" asked John as a small smirk came across his face.

"As long as I drink blood . . ." Randy told him as he drank another mouthful of beer. "And speaking of drinking, what kind of beer am I actually drinking right now? This stuff barely has any flavor to it."

"Sorry, I was having a bad day and I decided to buy some beer in order to, uh, alleviate the pain with . . ." explained John as he brushed a hand through his short hair, styled in a buzz cut that any drill sergeant would be proud of. "Unfortunately, I didn't look at the names of the beers on the rack of the deli I went to. I just picked up the first one I saw."

"Yeah . . . next time, look before you buy," said Randy as he poured the remaining contents of his drink into the sink before setting the empty bottle down on to the counter. "So, care to explain to me why you're so up in the middle of the night John?"

"What, can't a guy welcome his roommate back home after a long night's work?" John said for a sarcastic reply as Randy crossed his arms at him. ". . . Alright, I was up finishing up some old paperwork that I forgot to do when I heard the front door close. The best part is that Steph wants the reports I forgot to finish on her desk first thing tomorrow morning."

"You know, you wouldn't be in this whole paperwork mess if you hadn't decided to 'unintentionally blow up' an entire boat filled with enemy mercenaries right?" Randy asked him with a small smirk on his face as he walked past the smaller man in order to walk over to their living room.

"Hey! If I hadn't 'unintentionally blown up' that boat along the river last week, we would still have to deal with some of those enemy mercenaries today trespassing on our territory," John argued back as he followed after his friend. "To be honest, I was doing our organization a favor by taking those guys out."

"Yeah, you did do the organization a favor by taking those guys out, and everyone appreciates that . . ." Randy told him simply as he sat down on the leather sofa. "The problem is that you actually had to _blow up a boat _in order to do it. We're part of an _inconspicuous _organization, and what you did was, well, less than inconspicuous."

"Okay, so I could have probably done something a little more _discreet_, but when I saw all those guys gathered on that boat . . . I just had to take that chance, and that chance indeed paid off," said John as he shook his head. "And now I have to do a boatload of paperwork as my reward . . . no pun intended."

"Just be glad you got paperwork as your punishment and wasn't suspended without pay or something of the like . . ." said Randy as he shook his head. "We both know how much of a workaholic you are, so I can't imagine what you would do with yourself if you were forced to not work for two weeks."

"That would be torture . . . Absolute torture," John said with a scarred expression on his face, which Randy couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at. "Anyway, enough about me . . . What did you do tonight?

"I took out Lesnar's advocate, plain and simple," Randy replied, his voice going all serious as he lay back in his seat. "It was a pretty easy job if you ask me."

"You took the job to take out Heyman?!" John asked, slightly aghast as he stared at his friend. "That job was made optional, mostly because no one wanted to deal with the aftermath, and when I say aftermath, I mean Lesnar . . . It's been up in the air for months and now here I am finding out that it was you out of all people that took on this crazy task."

"The bosses were getting tired of waiting for someone to take the job. They were going to assign it to an unsuspecting fool eventually, so I did everyone a favor and took the job myself. . . . Even though it was such a well-paying job, no one was willing to take it."

"Yeah, because no one wants to deal with Brock afterward . . ." said John as he shook his head. "The job may have paid well, but it was just too risky of a thing to take on. . . . Did you clear this with Hunter at least?"

"I did so right before I did the job . . . When I called him afterward to tell him that I finished it, he suggested that I lay low for a while to avoid the 'Beast Incarnate' once he gets back," said Randy as he did a small shrug. "Of course I told him that I wasn't afraid of the big brute . . ."

"Of course you're not, since the Viper isn't afraid of anything scary . . ." grumbled John as he shook his head. "You're just lucky that Brock's still on his mission in Minnesota or else he would have been breaking into our house right about now to kick the vampire shit out of you."

"Yes . . . thank the good heavens for that," said Randy as he as he rolled his eyes in response to his friend's worries. "Do you at least want to hear how I ended Heyman?"

"I guess you did your signature thing and killed him before he could even notice you?" guessed John as he shook his head. Randy shook his head no in response. "You didn't do a one-shot kill? Dude, that's like, your trademark . . . Did Heyman actually spot you before you killed him?"

"No, I willingly showed my face to him before I killed him . . ." Randy told him as he began to crack his knuckles, his face hardening into a stoic mask as he began to look back on the memory. "I decided to have a little fun scaring him before I actually ended his life."

"Oh great, when your face gets all Terminator-like, then it means something especially unsettling to you happened . . ." said John as a knowing look came across his face as he sat down next to his friend. "What happened tonight, Randy?"

"I don't want to talk about it . . ." grumbled the man as he began to stare a hole into their plasma screen TV. John thought then and there if that if looks could kill; their TV would have been obliterated by now. "Besides John, I think you can make a good guess on what exactly happened tonight . . . Here's a small hint: Before I killed him, Heyman made the fatal mistake of mentioning someone that he had no right to speak about."

"Oh . . . he talked about her . . ." said John as a look of realization came across his face. "I figured Heyman would be smarter than that. Everyone in the organization knows not to mention you know who's name whenever you're in hearing range, let alone right to your face. That's just asking for death right there . . ."

"You got that right . . ." grumbled Randy as he continued to keep his steely gaze on the TV screen. "My only regret tonight is not making Heyman's death slow and painful like I originally intended for it to be. As soon as he mentioned Sam, I lost it."

"Hey, I understand . . ." said John as he shook his head. "You two were so together, so attached to the hip back when she was still around . . ."

"Yeah . . . We were quite the couple back then," said Randy as his face began to soften a little. "If I remember correctly, you always playfully did a gagging reflex whenever you saw Sam and I kiss."

"Well, you two were so in love with each other that it was basically sickening for the rest of us . . ." mumbled John as he pat his friend on the shoulder, quickly taking his hand a way when he noticed the intense stare Randy was shooting him. "Anyway, you completely changed when Sam . . ."

"Kicked the bucket? Died?" grumbled Randy as his voice started to take on a darker edge. "Was violently murdered without given an ounce of a mercy sent her way?"

"I was thinking of a more pleasant term to describe Sam's sudden departure from our world, like 'passed on' or 'deceased', but your suggestions? Yeah, those work too . . ." said John as he shot his friend an unsure glance. "Anyway, ever since Sam's death, you've totally been a different person. You were cocky, arrogant, a bit of show off . . . and now? You're a steely eyed mercenary with an anger problem who doesn't hesitate to kill or harm other people if they talk about their dead girlfriend."

"Uh, it's dead _fiancée, _John . . ." said Randy as he narrowed his eyes at him. "There is such a difference between a girlfriend and a fiancée, John."

"Uh . . . you don't think I know that . . ." said John as he shot him a blunt stare in response to Randy's narrowed eyed look. "Uh hello . . . I was married before you know?"

"Uh, of course I know that John . . ." said Randy as he shook his head. "Considering I was your best man at said wedding."

"And you, my friend, we're a great best man . . ." said John as he shook his head with a smile on his face. "Although, I didn't appreciate you getting me hardcore drunk during my bachelor party Ran. I ended up waking up in a bathtub with Ted's ass on my face."

"Hey! In my defense, everyone at the party agreed that you needed to live a little, Mr. Workaholic, and you did . . ." said John as he raised his hands in self-defense. "We just never realized how crazy you could get when you have eight bottle of whisky in your system. That was quite a sight . . ."

"Yeah, too bad I can't remember it, since after all, I was hardcore drunk that night . . ." said John as he got off the sofa.

"Where are you going with this conversation John?" Randy asked him bluntly as he raised an eyebrow. "I doubt it's to reminisce about your days before your first marriage."

"No, this is not about me. It's about you," said John as he pointed to the taller man. "What I'm trying to say that it's understandable why you react the way you do whenever people, especially enemies and strangers, mentions Sam's name. Overall, it's just a sensitive topic for you, even after all these years."

"I see what you mean . . ." mumbled Randy as he shook his head. "The worst part about this is that as a vampire, my emotions are as heightened as my senses. In other words, I can get a lot angrier than most people, even when the situation doesn't call for it."

"Which could be good or bad, whichever way you slice it and dice it . . ." said John as he began to walk toward the hallway that led to the rest of the apartment's rooms. "Anyway, I got paperwork to get back to. I'll see you in the morning Ran!"

"G'night!" Randy called back as he watched his friend head back to his room. Once he was finally alone with his thoughts, his mind began to wander, his trail of thought slowly moving toward the woman he saw walking down the street earlier in the night, the woman with the piercing blue eyes and cocoa colored skin.

_Who in the world was that girl?_

**Please review and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	3. Amanda

Chapter 3: Amanda

"Ah, you have finally emerged from the dark cave you call a bedroom . . . What took you so long?" said John as he looked up from his steaming cup of coffee at Randy, who had just walked into the kitchen with a small gray towel wrapped around the back of his neck, traces of shower water still dotting his stubble ridden chin and his short dark brown hair.

"I was just thinking about something . . . That's all," grumbled Randy as he quickly used his towel to dry off his head and face before rewrapping it around his neck. "Is being late to get ready because you were thinking about something a crime Mr. Cena?"

"On the contrary Mr. Orton . . ." said John as he shook his head. "I only asked my question because you took longer to get ready than you usually do."

"Have you been monitoring my daily morning routine John? That's just creepy, even for you," said Randy as he raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think you were that kind of person."

"Hey! I was only making a quick observation. That's all." grumbled John as he finished the last of his coffee, the dark liquid slightly burning his tongue as it went down his throat.

"Well, if you're going to get all antsy about why I took so long to get ready this morning, I'll tell you, after we get to HQ," said Randy as he walked out the room. "Let's go John, or else I'm going to leave without your sorry ass here."

"Don't you dare; my car's still in the shop. You and your Hummer are the only means of transportation I got at the moment," John exclaimed as he quickly jogged after the taller male, who had already discarded his towel as he walked away. The two men walked through their apartment to get toward the back of the building, where an old staircase that led to their garage awaited them. Randy, using his vampire agility in his favor, jumped from the top of the staircase to the bottom of it in one fell swoop, his boots making one low thud as he landed on the ground with relative ease. John, on the other hand, went down the old staircase three steps at a time.

The garage walls were plain except for posters that featured a varying array of different sports teams and rock bands along its gray walls. However, the garage's main focal point was parked right in the middle of it, a large black Hummer with tinted windows, the black paint looking glossy thanks to the overhead lighting. On the left side of the garage was a less than sleek Harley Davidson. It was covered in a light covering of dust and grime and the wheels were still caked in dried mud. The sight of it made John grimace a little.

"You really need to give your bike a good washing Randy . . ." grumbled John as the taller man pressed a button on the wall, which made the garage door start to roll up, slowly revealing the sun-drenched street outside. "You can't leave it looking this messy forever."

"I know I need to wash it. I just haven't found the time to do it." Randy told him bluntly as he walked over to the Hummer's driver side door. "Now, are you coming or not?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming . . ." mumbled John as he joined Randy inside the truck. ". . . And do you really believe I'm going to fall for the whole 'I don't have enough time to wash my motorcycle' excuse Mr. Vampire?"

"If you're implying that I have enough time in the world to wash my bike because as a vampire, I'm supposed to not sleep, then you are sadly mistaken John," answered Randy as he put the key into the ignition, quickly turning it in order to bring the vehicle to life. "The myth that vampires can't sleep or that they usually sleep in coffins is as true as the myth of vampires die as soon as they step into the sunlight. Those myths are complete bullshit my friend."

"They're not true?" John asked him as he slammed his palms into either side of his face, his eyes going wide in faux shock. Randy drove his car out until it was halfway onto the street. He then rolled his window down and stuck his bare hand out, showing that no harm was being done to the appendage. "Huh . . . I guess not. So, mind telling me what's been plaguing your mind so much that it made you take longer to get ready?"

"Damn it John, you're starting to sound like a curious, but nagging, housewife . . ." mumbled Randy as he checked for traffic before turning his car left.

"I've been told my ability to not let things go so easily is one of my most endearing qualities," said John, making his voice go at a higher pitch in order to resemble a woman's own, but it sounded more like he got hit in his balls by a football. "Now sweetheart, can you please tell me why you took so long? I'm getting antsy."

"You are a serious weirdo John Cena . . ." mumbled Randy as he kept his eyes on the road. "If you want to know why I took so long, then I'll tell you. I was thinking about something I saw last night . . . well, it was more like _someone_."

"Someone? Someone actually caught your attention?" asked John as he raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Dude, no one catches your attention unless they're a target you're assigned to annihilate. What gives?"

"This is different . . ." said Randy as he stopped the car at a traffic light. "I don't know . . . It's something about her that just . . . got my attention I guess."

"Her? A girl . . . Like, a living breathing, high heel wearing girl?" John asked in rapid succession as he stared at his friend with shock as plain as day on his face. "What you just said was the unlikeliest of answers I expected from you. Like seriously . . . A girl got your attention Mr. Vampire? After all these years?"

"Yes, a girl got my attention after all these years . . . So?" asked Randy as he continued to drive them forward. "How is that shocking to you?"

"Uh, it's like you forgot about the whole conversation about you know who we had just last night." mumbled John as he shook his head. "I just figured that after Sam's passing, you wouldn't be interested in other girls, for a long, and I mean _long,_ while . . ."

"I figured that too . . ." mumbled Randy as a small scowl came across his face. "But there was something about the girl I saw last night that's been nagging at me ever since I first saw her. . . . I have no idea what it is about her that's just getting to me though."

"Care to describe her for me?" asked John as he crossed his arms. "Maybe I can help you figure it out. I'd love to hear all about her."

"Of course you would, even though you already have a girlfriend to call your own . . ." said Randy as he shook his head. "What would Nikki say if she heard that you wanted to find out the details on another girl hmm? Isn't Nikki one of those girls that has a tendency to get jealous quite easily?"

"Hey! This is about you, not me . . ." said John as he pointed his finger at him. "And besides, what Nikki doesn't know can't hurt her, well . . . unless you actually tell her. You won't tell her right?"

"And have you throw my ass a good football field away in retaliation? Nah, I'm not going to take my chances . . ." Randy replied sarcastically as he stopped the car at another intersection.

"If you don't want to take any chances, you better tell me about this girl . . ." John practically threatened the vampire as he watched as a young mother pushed a green stroller across the street in front of them, but Randy just let out a loud chuckle in response.

"Fine, I'll tell you . . . Don't get your fucking underwear in a twist," said Randy as he checked his rearview window to see if there were any cars behind them. There weren't any. "This girl . . . I don't know. The first thing that I saw that really got my attention were her eyes. She had this stoic look on her face, and her eyes are this piercing blue color . . . They really stood out against her skin tone. It was this nice, warm, cocoa color . . ."

"Piercing blue eyes and cocoa colored skin . . . Sounds like quite the exotic one to me," said John as he placed a hand underneath his chin. "Huh, your description kinda matches the girl dressed in the black, body-hugging tracksuit walking our way on your left Ran. She could probably be the same one too . . ."

"John, do you know how unlikely the odds are for the woman you see on my left to be the same one I saw last night?" asked Randy as he shook his head. "That's, like, virtually impossible . . . Besides, any girl can have cocoa colored skin and blue eyes. My description of the girl has been quite vague so far . . ."

"Why don't you take a good look for yourself then?" asked John as he gestured to Orton's left. "See if she's the same girl or not."

"Fine, but I'm telling you John. It probably won't be her . . ." said Randy as he finally turned to look at his left. His eyes widened in disbelief as his gaze landed on the woman, who wasn't paying attention to anything in front of her as she busied herself with her phone. Randy looked at her face the longest, her angular features standing out against her warm skin tone, her eyes, just as piercing from the night before, looking out into the street for just a moment before she returned her attention back on the purple device in her hand. "You . . . you got to be fucking kidding me."

"Wait, are you telling me that the woman that has gained so much of your attention since last night is the same woman standing right in the middle of that stretch of sidewalk right there?" John asked as he looked at Randy in shock. "Damn, to be honest, I didn't think that was possible . . . Just another example of how small a world we live in huh . . ."

"Uh huh . . ." said Randy as he unashamedly continued to stare at the girl, his eyes now drinking in every part of her, from the top of her big, curly, waist-length, dark hair to the very bottom of the red and black Nike sneakers she wore. He continued to stare at the girl till something a few feet behind her caught his eye. He moved his gaze just in time to see a pale blonde man dressed in all black and wearing very dark sunglasses watching the girl intently before disappearing into one of the homes' driveway, a suspicious feeling slowly overcoming the Viper as he found himself exiting his car.

"Uh Randy, where you going?" asked John as he looked at his friend with an eyebrow raised, not even moving to stop the taller male. "We're supposed to be heading to HQ right now man. What's with the sudden detour?"

"Don't worry Johnnie Boy. I'll make this quick." said Randy as he started to jog back the way they came. Randy quickly looked around the block, quickly making sure that no one else was looking his way, before vanishing in a sudden blur. He moved in silence, reappearing on top of the building that the other man disappeared behind. He looked down into the driveway to see the man still there, talking animatedly into his phone in a language Randy recognized as Eastern European in origin. "Now, what are you doing here hmm?"

The man suddenly looked up at the sound of Randy's voice, just in time to see him jumping down into the alley without making any noise. Randy slowly stood up from his crouch, a small smirk playing on his lips as he stared down the man, who was looking at him with obvious agitation etched across his face, his lips already pulled back to show his own set of pearly white fangs.

"Care to explain what you are doing here in my neighborhood snooping around and stalking women out on their morning jogs my fellow vampire?" Randy asked him as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I don't need to answer to you . . ." the man said in a low growl as he quickly put his phone back into his pocket. "My business is just that: my business. I don't need to share my plans with you Mr. Orton."

"Mr. Orton?" asked Randy as he raised an eyebrow at the sudden use of his last name. "So you've heard about me?"

"Of course . . ." grumbled the man, his voice filled with disdain. "Everyone knows about you Mr. Orton. You are the Viper, the king of the one-shot kill! You're one of the deadliest killers under Mr. McMahon's employment, and you're known for being a person that doesn't around."

"Hmm . . . I guess my reputation precedes me . . . And you're right: I'm not one for playing around. So, let me ask you this question . . ." said Randy as he took a step forward. "Care to explain to me why you are stalking the curly haired woman in the black tracksuit out on the sidewalk behind me?"

"Why would you like to know?" asked the other man as he raised an eyebrow.

"Well, as a fellow vampire, I think you can understand how important territory is to our kind . . ." said the Viper as he took another step forward, which made the other vampire take a step back in response. ". . . And I don't like the idea of vampires I don't know hunting in my territory."

"You think I'm stalking her for her blood? You are highly mistaken on that account Mr. Orton . . . Besides, do you really think I would be that brazen enough to hunt during this time of day?" asked the other man as he gestured all around them.

"If you're that desperate, then yes . . ." said Randy as he heard a pair of footsteps jogging toward them, he looked over his shoulder to see John appearing at the mouth of the driveway, a small scowl planted on the shorter man's face as he shook his head. "Ah John, what took you so long?"

"I had to find parking . . ." John told him bluntly as he walked over to him, his gaze on the other vampire rather than Randy himself. "Who's this guy? Did you make a new friend?"

"Something like that . . ." said Randy as he did a small shrug. "He was just about to explain to me why he's stalking the girl out on the sidewalk."

"Do you mean me?"

At the sound of the feminine voice, all three men turned around to see the woman in question looking at them with a stoic look on her face from the entry point of the driveway. She moved her steely gaze from John to the other man to Randy before finally settling back on the other man, a scowl slowly spreading across her face as she began walking toward them.

"Ma'am, this business does not concern you, so why don't you just run along and continue with your jog alright? We'll handle things here," said John as he took a step forward in order to stop her, but stopped in his tracks when the woman shot him a cold look. John couldn't help but compare it to Randy's own icy stare. ". . . Okay, maybe not."

"Miss, you should heed the short man's warning . . ." said the blonde as he spoke to her in a calm tone, a far cry from the disdainful one he had minutes prior. "Things could get ugly if you stick around."

"Things were going to get ugly as soon as I realized you were following me while I was out on my morning run . . ." grumbled the woman, her voice low, but as sharp as a knife as she stared the man down with her piercing blue eyes. Randy looked at her curiously, noticing the strong, calculating way she walked as she made her way to stand in between himself and John. "He's not a friend of yours, is he?"

". . . Huh?" Randy managed to say, breaking out of his thoughts quickly when he realized that the woman was addressing him and John, and that she was staring directly at him. When he realized what she had asked, he quickly answered her. ". . . Nope, he isn't our friend."

"Good . . ." said the woman as she turned to look at the other man. "Then the both of you won't mind it when I do this."

"Do what?" asked the blonde vampire as he looked at her with a suspicious glare. The woman didn't verbally answer him. Instead, her only response to his small question was to slowly angle her head left, a small twisted smile coming across her face as she did. The blonde man looked at her as if she was going crazy before letting out a sudden gasp and falling to his knees, a pained expression coming across his face as he clutched at either side of his head. All Randy and John could do was watch in absolute shock as the blonde vampire began to roll around on the ground, his mouth letting out his silent screams as his lips trembled in agony. They both turned to the woman to see her head turning back into its previous position, her face returning to a more stoic form as the vampire continue to writhe in agony in front of them.

"What . . . what are you doing to him?" John managed to ask for the both of him as he continued to look on at the scene in disbelief.

"He's just going through an illusion, one that makes him feel severe pain right inside that batty skull of his, pun intended," the woman answered him as she continued to look at the man. "Once the illusion is over, he will no longer have any memory of this encounter. He won't remember you two, and he won't remember me. Simple as that."

"How do you do it?" John asked her, looking utterly clueless as the woman turned to him.

"Simple . . . she's psychic," said Randy, the look on his face already showing that he figured it out way before John did. The woman turned to him, a small smile stretching across her face as she did so. Randy felt a small pang in his chest then, as if his very slow heart decided to suddenly beat faster. "What . . . what's your name?"

"The name's Amanda, and now that this guy's handled, I'll be finishing my jog now," said Amanda as she began to backtrack her steps before turning around. ". . . Bye boys!"

"I can't believe it . . . She's leaving us to deal with him? We're already late as it is . . ." mumbled John as the two watched as the woman left the driveway and turned left onto the sidewalk. "Can you believe her? The audacity . . ."

"Yeah . . . the audacity . . ." said Randy as he continued to stare off into the driveway. John shot him a disbelieving look before he shook his head, giving up on reasoning with his friend as he walked over to the vampire, who was slowly recovering from his mental episode. Randy, meanwhile, continued to look out into the driveway.

'Amanda' now peaking his curiosity even more.

**Please review!**


	4. The Mission

Chapter 4: The Mission

"Randy, are you okay?"

"Huh?" said the Viper as his friend's voice suddenly broke him out of his busy thoughts. He quickly surveyed his surroundings to see that he was within his Hummer, now seated in the front passenger seat as John manned the wheel. They had already driven out of their neighborhood earlier in the hour and were now cruising through a more industrialized section of the city, which was outfitted with storage warehouses, factories, and junkyards of different shapes and sizes. When Randy realized that his friend was expecting an answer out of him, he quickly responded with one. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine John. I'm just peachy."

"You're just peachy. . . Yeah, that does not sound like you," said John as he slowly shook his head. "That doesn't sound like you at all. You're not one for saying words like 'peachy'. What gives?"

"Maybe I'm just trying to expand my vocabulary. Have you given that idea any thought John?" asked Randy as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"No need to get all defensive old friend," said John as he lifted up his free hand in defeat. "What I'm trying to say is that you've been awfully quiet ever since we encountered that Amanda girl back in that driveway earlier. Has she really plagued your thoughts that much Ran?"

"You have no idea John . . ." said Randy as he let out a short breath. "Like, a full 24 hours haven't even passed since I first saw her. Including today, I've only seen her twice, and yet, her presence has taken up a large amount of mental space in my noggin."

"Randy . . . has this ever happened to you before?" asked John as he turned the truck onto an intersecting street lined on both sides by boarded up brick buildings that had graffiti lined up along their walls. "Did any other girl have a profound effect on you in a short amount of time like how Amanda has an effect on you now?"

"The only answer I got for you John is Sam," said Randy as he slowly bowed his head, his eyes now looking more distant at the mere mention of his deceased fiancée's name. "When I first met Sam, I ended up thinking about her night and day. I couldn't keep my mind off her . . ."

"And the same thing is happening to you now in regards to Amanda?" said John as a thoughtful look came across his clean-shaven faced. "Hmm . . . This is quite the mystery you got on your hands here Ran."

"Yeah . . ." mumbled Randy as he watched as John began to slowly take his foot off the gas pedal, the Hummer starting to slow as he did. "Yeah, you're telling me . . ."

"You know what's also becoming a mystery?" asked John as he pulled the Hummer to a stop right by a large gray building with a large garage door right in the middle of its front wall. "The guy that was following her . . ."

"Oh yeah . . . him," said Randy as he started to scowl at the mere thought of the man they encountered earlier. "We never really learned why the guy was following after Amanda in the first place."

"Yeah . . . we couldn't learn why the guy was following after Amanda in the first place," said John as he cut the engine, parroting Randy's sentence like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Since he quickly ran away as soon as both of our backs were turned. As soon as we turned our eyes, poof, he was gone without a trace."

"And the worse thing about that was that he didn't leave no scent for me to trace . . ." grumbled the Viper as he quickly got out of his truck.

"Isn't that odd?" asked John as he quickly got out of the driver seat and joined his taller friend on the sidewalk. "Almost everything leaves a scent, especially people, no matter what species they are."

"That's true . . ." said Randy as John quickly locked the Hummer and turned on its alarm before handing the keys back to him. "But not having a scent for others to track isn't entirely impossible. It's possible, but very rare, for someone to be born with a scent so non-existent that it makes them appear that they don't have a scent at all."

"So, the guy did have a scent, it was just so . . . not there that not even you could smell it out?" asked John as the two walked over to the large garage door. Randy simply shook his head yes. "Wow, well that's very problematic when you want to track someone down."

"Yeah, you're telling me . . ." mumbled Randy as he did a series of taps and hits to the metallic surface of the door. When he was done, he took a step back just as the door began to move upward. When it had risen enough so that they could squeeze through, John and Randy slipped through the opening with ease. Once inside, the two took a quick look around their surroundings to see some of their fellow employees and operatives milling around the large space. Most were talking amongst themselves, a couple of them were busy typing away at computers at the far end of the room, and some were busy sparring with each other in the center of the floor. However, John and Randy couldn't care less about what was going on around the rest of the building. Their eyes were already trained on the two men that were walking toward them. "Huh, Cody, Ted . . . You two are here early."

"Nah . . . you two are just late," said Cody as he used his fingers to brush down his moustache. "We arrived here at our usual time, and we would ask you why you two came here late, but that's pretty much null and void thanks to good ol' extra-sensitive vampire hearing now isn't it?"

"What have I told you two about listening in to others' private conversations?" grumbled the Viper as he shot the two a disapproving look. "Especially mine?"

"That if you ever caught us listening in to your private conversations, you would not hesitate to kick our asses all the way to Canada?" asked Ted as he raised an eyebrow at the taller male.

"Exactly . . ." said Randy as he shook his head. "So, what's on the agenda for today boys?"

"Hunter wants to talk to the three of us in his office Randy," said Cody as he gestured to himself, the Viper, and Ted. "And as for John, Stephanie is expecting your ass in her office."

"Yeah, and I can already guess why . . ." said John as he took out a manila envelope that contained his reports from the side bag that he kept strapped across his shoulder. "I'll see you guys later then. I got to go meet with the Princess."

"Good luck . . ." said Randy as the three vampires watched the man jog down an adjacent hallway before turning a corner, thus disappearing from their view. He then turned his sights on Ted and Cody, who were looking back at him with patient eyes. "Hopefully Stephanie won't chew his ear out that much . . . Anyway, what are you two leaving out? What are you not telling me?"

"You think we left something out?" asked Ted as he brought a hand to his chest. "We know better than that Ran. We don't hide stuff from you man."

"Cody, what are you and Ted not telling me?" Randy asked the mustached man with a blunt stare on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You two have gotten better at keeping straight faces when you want to keep a secret. I'll admit that. But when it comes to me, you got to know that nothing can really get past my attention when I sense that something's amiss. So, what are you guys trying to keep a secret from me?"

"Damn, you are good . . ." said Cody as he shook his head in disbelief while Ted slapped his hand to his forehead. "What gave us away this time around?"

"The miniscule glance you gave each other from the corner of your eyes when you thought I wasn't looking." Randy told them bluntly as he walked over to a set of stairs along the adjacent wall that led up to the second floor.

"Damn, you are good . . ." grumbled Ted as the three took the rusty set of stairs three steps at a time. "I really thought Cody and I were really discreet this time."

"You were being discreet. I just managed to catch the one thing that gave you two away . . ." said Randy as the three reached the top of the stairs in no time flat. "So, mind telling me what you two are trying to hide?"

"McMahon's here." Cody answered him bluntly, which made Randy raise an eyebrow. "Can you guess which one?"

"Hmm . . . Shane's probably the best guess since he always comes to the different HQs as his father's advocate," said Randy as the three bypassed a few of the offices on their right before turning down a hallway on their left. "But I'm guessing that's not the case this time around right?"

"Not in the slightest my friend," said Ted as he shook his head, just as the three finally reached the steel door that separated them from Hunter's office. "Shane's father actually decided to make the trip this time around."

"Wait a fucking minute . . . Vince is here?!" Randy said in slight shock as he turned to his fellow vampires with narrowed eyes.

"I'm here alright . . . Now can you three jackasses get your butts in here so we can start this debriefing already?" called a low, and very gravelly voice from somewhere behind the steel door. "I have a flight waiting for me that's leaving in an hour and a half! Stop wasting my time and get in here!"

"I see he's still as patient as ever . . ." Cody mumbled under his breath as Randy took hold of the doorknob and turned it. As soon as he got the silver door open, the three vampires walked into Hunter's office, which was way more decorated and furnished than the building's main area. The room was decorated with photos of different landscapes and the floor was carpeted in red. The centerpiece of the room was the large oak desk, situated a few feet away from the room's curtained windows, an obvious clue in how much Stephanie had a hand in decorating her husband's office. Sitting in the leather chair behind the desk was a stoic looking man whose slick-backed hair was decorated in various shades of gray. He wore a simple gray jacket with a white button down shirt and a dark grey tie, the outfit hiding the amount of muscle his body held despite his somewhat advanced age. His eyes showed both annoyance and cunning as he stared at the three mercenaries in, his fingers slowly weaving themselves together as he looked at each vampire in front of him, his eyes landing on Randy last.

"Hmm . . . It's nice of you three to finally join us in here boys," said Vince, his gravelly voice echoing throughout the room. "And now that you three are here, we finally can get down to business."

"Sure thing . . ." said Randy as he walked further into the room, Ted and Cody following close behind him. "Besides, it's not every day we get to hear our mission from you personally Vince."

"What have I told you about calling me by my first name when I'm around?" Vince asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "As an employee of this organization, you are to refer to me as Mr. McMahon, or Boss, and nothing else. You hear me?"

"Crystal clear . . ." said Randy, expertly hiding the agitation in his voice. "What mission do you have for us, _Mr. McMahon_?"

"A few days ago, our sources discovered that a small Romanian mercenary cell with connections to the main branch of the Romanian vampire coven arrived to the city via airport just three days ago," Mr. McMahon explained as he picked up his briefcase from the ground and placed it on the desk. "Now, the Romanian mercenaries don't usually send people over the Atlantic to the States to do jobs. If they do, they're usually either high paying, or of very high importance to their various clients."

"What were they hired to do?" asked Ted as he raised an eyebrow.

"We have no word on who they're client exactly is. Best guess is that it's someone who's a high ranking member of the Romanian Coven," said Mr. McMahon as he opened his briefcase and took out a crisp manila folder from inside. "On the other hand, we do have an idea on who they're after."

"Who?" asked Cody as he began to twiddle with his moustache. "So, they're on a kidnapping mission then?"

"That's correct . . . This folder contains a photo and all the information we gathered on the person they're after." said Vince as he handed the folder to Randy, who quickly took it before returning to his spot in between his two comrades.

"Who's the client were working for exactly?" asked Randy as he looked up from the folder to stare Mr. McMahon in the eye.

"He wants to remain anonymous, just like all the other clients that use our discreet services," said Vince as he reweaved his fingers together. "Go ahead . . . Take a look inside you three. It's not much, to be honest, but it's a good start."

"C'mon Randy . . . Open the folder," said Ted as he nudged the taller male in the arm. "We might as well see who the person the Romanians are after looks like."

"You're only saying this because you want to see if this person is a woman, a hot woman, to be blunt," said Cody as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Think with your brain, not your balls man . . ."

"Don't worry you three . . . The person the Romanians are after . . . she is indeed, quite attractive," said a new voice from somewhere on their right. Everyone turned their heads to see a man dressed in a simple black t-shirt and jeans walk out from the shadows, a small smirk playing on his face as he brought a hand to his recently shaven head. "However, I don't know how much you'll take my opinion into consideration since I am a married man after all, but trust me when I say this: Take my word for it."

"We will see about that Hunter . . ." said Randy as he opened the folder. As soon as he turned his head to look at the contents inside, his eyes widened in surprise at the photo in front of him. ". . . No fucking way."

"No fucking way is right . . ." said Ted as he shook his head. "We saw this girl just yesterday."

"Wait, are you serious?" asked Vince as he stood up from his chair. "You three have seen this woman before?"

"Yeah, like last night we saw her walking behind two other women that I'm assuming are friends or close associates of hers." said Cody as Randy slammed the folder shut.

"I saw her again just before John and I reached the building," Randy bluntly admitted as he crossed his arms over his chest, all eyes now firmly on him. "A vampire with a thick Eastern European accent was following her as she was jogging through my neighborhood a while ago this morning."

"Did you encounter this vampire?" asked Vince as he narrowed his eyes at Randy.

"Yeah, I confronted him . . ." said Randy as he shook his head. "He eventually managed to escape, but not before the girl messed with his mind so that he didn't remember her or me and John before jogging off."

"She messed with his mind?" asked Ted as he looked at his friend in shock. "So, you're telling me she's psychic?"

"It sounds like it Ted," said Cody as he brought a hand to his chin. "And if she's able to do something that big to that vampire's mind, she must be one talented psychic too."

"Which could be a reason as to why they're here in the city for her," said Vince as he sat back down in his chair. "Our client hired you three to protect the girl at all costs, and yes, you will all be paid handsomely for it. Her place of residence was one of the pieces of information we managed to gather on her."

"How long do we have to protect her?" asked Randy as he raised an eyebrow.

"As long as necessary . . . Trust me, it'll not be pretty if you fail this mission," Vince answered him simply as he shook his head. "Now get out of here you three! You got a job to do."

"Yes sir . . ." said Randy as he did a small salute before leaving the room behind Cody and Ted. Once the three were out the room, Vince turned to Hunter, who was looking at him with a small smirk on his face as he walked over to the desk.

"You think those three idiots will be successful in their mission?" asked Hunter as he raised an eyebrow.

"They have to or else they won't get paid," said Vince as he got out of his chair. "Even though I personally don't like him, Orton is one of this organization's best operatives. We both know how much he hates the idea of failure. That alone will drive him to get the job done. If he's able to kill Heyman, even with the consequence of Lesnar seeking revenge once he finds out hanging over his head, he'll certainly be able to handle this job."

"What about Cody and Ted?" asked Hunter as he raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have any faith in them?"

"I do have faith in them," said Vince as he picked up his briefcase. "Not only do I have faith in them to get the job done, I have faith in them to make sure Randy doesn't go off the deep end in this mission. We both know how he can get when he gets angry, especially when someone mentions you know who. Just look at what happened to Brooks all those years ago . . ."

"You're right on that one . . ." said Hunter as he shook his head. "But then again Randy and Phil never got along well with each other in the first place. It was only a matter of time before those two would really get at it."

"And now you've seen my point . . ." said Vince as he walked toward the door. "I have a plane to catch. Goodbye Hunter."

"Goodbye _Dad_!" said Hunter as he watched the older man stop, his hand hallway toward the doorknob as he turned around to stare at him. "What? Was it something I said?"

"Let's get this one thing clear: You may be a part of my family, but that doesn't mean I have to like you. It's father-in-law to you Hunter, not Dad. You hear me?" said Vince, his voice as cool as ice as he opened the door.

"I hear you loud and clear Vince," said Hunter as Mr. McMahon stepped into the hallway. "Don't forget to tell your daughter goodbye before you leave."

"Like I would ever do that to my little girl . . ." said Vince as he walked down the hallway. Hunter let out a gruff snort as he closed the door before walking back to his desk, muttering something about uptight father-in-laws as he went.

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	5. Target's House

Chapter 5: Target's House

"Have either of you realized that if you really think about it, like, if you _really_ think about it, we've basically been assigned a babysitting mission?"

Cody and Randy shared a glance with each other before turning their heads to glance back at Ted, who was the odd man out as he sat in the backseat of the Hummer; the three of them driving through a suburban area of the city in order to get to their target's address. During the entire drive so far, Ted had remained silent as Cody and Randy talked about typical topics like sports and the weather, just to eat up time during their drive. It was the first statement he said since leaving HQ.

"And you bring this up . . . why?" asked Cody as he raised an eyebrow. "It's not like this is the first time we've been given a babysitting op . . . Is there something about it that bothers you Ted?"

"I don't know . . ." said Ted as he lay back in his seat. "All I know is that it's mighty convenient that the person we're assigned to protect ends up being a person we've only seen once before, and that once before happened just last night."

"Well Ted, in our case, it was only once . . ." said Cody as he lifted up a finger. "However in Randy's case, he's seen her twice already."

". . . In his own neighborhood, might I be so bold to add . . ." said Ted as he crossed his arms. "Have you ever seen her before in your neighborhood before this morning Randy?"

"Nope; this morning was the very first time . . ." said the Viper as he finally jumped into the conversation. "According to her file, the target lives somewhere in this neighborhood, but likes to jog in different parts of the city."

"Huh . . . So I guess she's someone that likes to mix up her normal routine then . . ." said Cody as he looked down at the folder in his lap. Randy had given it to him for safe-keeping as soon as they got into the car. "Now, let's see what else this folder has on our target then hmm?"

"It shouldn't be a lot . . ." said Ted as he shook his head. "Mr. McMahon did say that there wasn't much in the folder, but it's a good start."

"Cody, what other info is listed inside the folder anyway?" said the Viper, his voice leveled and calm as he turned the car onto an intersecting street. Despite his outwardly serious and neutral demeanor, inwardly, Randy couldn't help but be curious and interested to hear more about the girl they were supposed to protect.

"Well, her full name is Amanda Genevieve Evans. She has been raised by her single mother for her entire life. There's no info here on her father though . . ." said Cody as he read through the small bio report.

"Nothing on her dad?" asked Ted as he leaned forward. "Like . . . nothing at all?"

"Not even a first name . . ." Cody concluded as he kept his eyes on the sheet in front of him. "Anyway, Amanda has two siblings, an older brother and a twin sister. Her brother lives in New York and works as a detective."

"And her sister?" asked Randy as he raised an eyebrow, inwardly thinking about the idea that Amanda was actually a twin and not a single person.

"Nothing on the sister . . ." said Cody as he shook his head. "All that's left in this file is her address and her occupation and that's it."

"Well then, what does she work as?" asked Ted as he let out a deep breath.

"It says here in her file that Monday through Friday she works as a model, but on the weekends, she works as an assistant martial arts instructor at a gym in this very neighborhood . . ." explained Cody as he closed the folder. "She's a third degree black belt in both karate and taekwondo."

"In other words, she can basically kick people's asses and look good while doing it . . ." said Ted as he shook his head. "Now that's what I call a mean combination."

"She does sound like someone you shouldn't mess with . . ." said the Viper as he spotted the house they were looking for. "Here's the place."

"That's such a nice house, although I didn't expect this to be the kind of place a model-slash-martial arts instructor would live at . . ." said Ted as Randy slowed the Hummer to a stop right in front of the two-story home. It was a white colonial style building, complete with a porch in the front. Within the driveway were two cars, a sleek black Camaro and an ocean blue colored Camry, both of them looking relatively new. "To be honest, I figured she owned a condo or something."

"Well, if she's wealthy enough to have a two story home and two cars in her driveway, she could be wealthy enough to also own a condo along with it . . ." said Cody as he shrugged. He then turned to the Viper, who had just turned off the Hummer's ignition and unbuckled his seatbelt. "So, how are we going to start things off this time around huh? Are we going to do the usual route and stick to the shadows to watch her from the background like we've always done with past clients? It's your call Ran."

"Wait a minute . . . Does the woman even know that three vampires have been sent to her doorstep to protect her from our Romanian counterparts in the first place?" asked Ted as he shook his head. "Like . . . seriously?"

"Well then boys . . ." said Randy as he opened his door. "I guess we're about to find out . . ."

"You can't be serious!" Cody exclaimed as he watched the Viper walk onto the sidewalk. He and Ted quickly exited the vehicle and followed the taller male, who was already halfway up the walkway when the two other vampires caught up to him. "We're usually a keep-to-the-shadows trio. We only introduce ourselves to the people we're supposed to protect when it's either absolutely necessary, or when it just can't be helped."

"Cody's right Randy . . ." said Ted as the three climbed the three small steps that led up to the porch. "This isn't the usual routine . . ."

"It's not the usual routine, but it doesn't hurt to mix things up a little right?" asked Randy as he turned to the two to see the concerned looks on their faces. "Besides, the girl's psychic, remember? I have a pretty good feeling It's not going to take her long to get wind of things if she becomes suspicious enough, you know?"

"Oh . . . You so make a good point there . . ." said Ted as he began to think over Randy's words. "It's hard to catch a psychic off-guard. . ."

"Especially when they use their powers to do a mind scan on the immediate area surrounding them . . ." mumbled Cody as he put his hands in his pockets. "You can never sneak up on them if they do that."

"If the psychic is a rookie, you have a chance against them. If the psychic's an expert or has some skill on the other hand, then yeah, you're in trouble," said the Viper as he turned to face the front door. The door was simple in design, with three windows on the top half in the shape of a fan, giving anyone who was tall enough a chance to look inside the house if they wanted to. "Well boys, let's see if she's home."

"This should be fun . . ." Cody mumbled under his breath as Randy ringed the doorbell. The sharp ding echoed out throughout the inside of the house, the noise sounding crisp and clear throughout all of their extra-sensitive ears. "Do you think she's home?"

"I sense the presence of two people inside . . ." said Randy as he the sounds of light footsteps approached the door. "They seem familiar enough, but neither of them feel like they're Amanda . . ."

"Then who are the people inside then?" asked Ted, his body slowly going into a defensive posture just as the doorknob turned. Once the lock unclicked and the door was open, he instantly relaxed as he looked at the woman before them. "Oh hello . . . Now I know what you meant when you said they seem familiar enough."

"Hi . . ." said the woman as she tucked a few strands of her platinum blonde hair behind her ear, her bright blue eyes taking a glimpse of each man before her. "Can I help you gentleman with something? Are you three lost?"

"We're here looking for someone actually," said Randy, his voice all business as a serious look came forth on his face. "Does a woman named Amanda Evans live here?"

"Yep; she's the owner of this property. My name is Barbara, but everyone just calls me Kelly," said the woman, her face looking unsure as she looked at the three. "What exactly do you want with Amanda anyway, well, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Kelly! What's taking you so long out there?" said a feminine voice with a Texan accent. Kelly and the boys all turned to see a woman that was about the same height as Kelly, but more muscular than her walk up to them with a big grin on her face. The front half of her long curly hair was as blonde as Kelly's while the back half was chocolate brown. She was dressed in a sports bra and gray sweatpants, which helped to show off her muscular arms and torso. "Oh, I see we have guests?"

"I'm not so sure about that Celeste . . ." said Kelly as she shook her head. "They're here looking for Amanda."

"What have I told you about using my real name? I like to be referred to as Kaitlyn remember?" asked Kaitlyn as she shook her head.

"Sorry . . ." said Kelly as she raised her hands in surrender. "Sometimes it just slips my mind."

"You guys like to use different names for yourselves, and neither of them connects to your actual names in any way . . ." stated Cody as he brought a hand to his chin. "Well, isn't that suspicious. . ."

"It's also suspicious when three tall guys dressed in all black come straight to your doorstep in order to find your roommate . . ." said Kaitlyn as she placed her hands on her hips. "Wouldn't you agree Mr. . . Wait, what's your name again?"

"The name's Cody. The guy right here next to me is Ted . . ." said Cody as he pointed to Ted, who was standing on his left. "And the taller guy in front here is Randy. We're just here to talk to Amanda about a couple of things that concern her."

"Uh huh . . . Do you all happen to work for the same company or something?" asked Kelly as she raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing the all-black uniform trend thing you guys got going on here means you all are employed under the same establishment or something . . ."

"Something like that . . ." said Randy as he shook his head. "But seriously though, is Amanda here or not?"

"She went out on a run. She should be back any minute now," said Kaitlyn as her face turned suspicious. "How do we know that you three aren't here to do something . . . sinister hmm?"

"Kaitlyn really?" asked Kelly as she rolled her head back in exasperation. "Do you have to do this now?"

"Hey! It's not every day you see three cute, tall, and somewhat intimidating guys appear right at your doorstep asking for your roommate. It's bound to make a person a little suspicious," Kaitlyn argued as a smirk came across her face. "I'm just playing it safe here."

"Your friend has every right to be suspicious . . ." said Ted as he shook his head. "She's just looking out for your other friend after all . . . We promise you we're not here with any ill will. We're just here to look out for Amanda. . . She's in danger."

"Danger huh?" asked Kaitlyn as she raised an eyebrow while Kelly looked at the three men in shock. "Hmm, well, if you're here in Amanda's best interests, than I guess you guys are ok. For now . . . How about you guys come inside? Then we can talk."

"Really Kaitlyn?" asked Kelly as she began to walk further into the house. Kaitlyn moved out of the doorway, allowing the three men to enter at her permission. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Relax Kelly . . ." said Kaitlyn as she closed the door behind them. "It won't hurt to at least hear them out. Besides, I can handle them if things go awry."

"You?" asked Kelly as she turned to face her roommate with a blunt look on her face. Randy, Cody, and Ted stood awkwardly in between the two, all of them curious and wary to see how the girls' conversation would turn out. "How exactly are you going to handle yourself against three freaking vampires for crying out loud?"

"Wait, you know who we are?!" Cody exclaimed in shock as Ted visibly tensed up. Randy was the only one who stayed calm, his face maintaining its expressionless façade as he looked at the scene before them. "How long have you known this?"

"I didn't. I just guessed," said Kelly as she shot him a narrowed eyed look. "Thank you. You just helped to confirm my guess vampire."

"Nice going Cody . . ." said Randy as he shot his teammate a blunt look. "Way to give away our species."

"Well I didn't mean to . . ." said Cody as he went on the defensive. "It just . . . slipped out."

"You may be vampires, but you're here to look out for Amanda, and that makes you three good vampires in my eyes . . ." said Kaitlyn as she clasped her hands together. Her eyelids closed shut as her hands began to glow an eerie silvery gray. The atmosphere began to have a static feel to it; the men couldn't help themselves to feel a sudden tingling sensation on their skin. All eyes were on Kaitlyn as she unclasped her hands to reveal a small ball of condensed lightning circulating within her grasp. "I view you three as good vampires for now, but if you do anything to screw Amanda or us, in anyway, I will not hesitate to shock you three until your fangs pop out of your gums, you hear me?"

"Crystal clear . . ." said Cody, who looked the most spooked among the three as the lightning ball slowly dissipated into thin air. Ted just looked on in wide eyed fascination, and Randy . . . his expression never changed.

"Good . . ." said Kaitlyn as she showed off her big grin once again. "C'mon, we can wait in the living room until Amanda gets here."

"That sounds like a plan . . ." said Randy as he shook his head. Kaitlyn and Kelly lead the three down a small hallway until they turned right into the living room, which was simple in design. The room's walls were royal blue in color and contained a silver couch with matching armchairs on each side, a mahogany coffee table that stood before the couch, and a 42' inch plasma screen TV standing on a TV stand across the room from said couch. A large bookcase was located in a far corner of the room and the wooden floor was waxed to perfection. "Huh . . . I got to admit. The living room is very . . . meticulous."

"You can thank Amanda for that," said Kelly as she shook her head. "One of her big rules is that we have to help maintain the cleanliness of this place. She's not really a neat freak, but she really likes a clean home."

"Sounds like someone else I know," said Ted as he let out a chuckle. "Isn't that right Cody?"

"Shut up . . ." Cody told him bluntly as he crossed his arms. "At least I know what it means to be clean. I can't say the same for you in that junkyard you call an apartment."

"My apartment is not a junkyard!" Ted exclaimed as he placed his hands on his hips. "It's aesthetically pleasing to those who actually have an eye for art."

"Art?" asked Kaitlyn as she dropped herself onto the couch. "Is that your fancy way of saying that you're a complete slob?"

"That was rude . . ." said Ted as he pointed to Kaitlyn. "And excuse me, but Cody and I were having a private conversation here."

"Well, it's not really a private conversation if you're saying it out loud for the entire room to hear . . ." said Kelly as she shook her head. ". . . But that's my opinion."

"Don't say another word Ted . . ." said Randy as he shot him a narrow-eyed look. "She got you beat on that one."

"I have a feeling that you are the boss within this trio huh?" mumbled Kaitlyn as she faced the tall man.

"Guilty as charge . . ." said Randy as he heard the sounds of keys jingling in the lock on the front door, his senses feeling Amanda's presence before she could even show her face. "Sounds like someone's here."

"That must be Amanda now . . ." said Kaitlyn as she jumped out of her seat and ran into the hallway.

"By the way, you never told us why you have to look out for Amanda in the first place," said Kelly as she turned to Randy. "What's your reason exactly?"

"Don't fret about it now Kelly," said Randy as he heard the voices of Kaitlyn and Amanda mingling together at the door. "All will be revealed in just a moment."

**Please review!**


	6. Target and Protector

Chapter 6: Target and Protector

"That's strange . . . Kelly and Kaitlyn never mentioned that they were having guests over today," Amanda mumbled under her breath as she climbed up the porch steps of her welcoming home. "I can sense the presence of three other people inside the house with those two, and one of them feels way more familiar than the others . . . So familiar, it couldn't be . . ."

Amanda pondered this as she took her keys out of her pocket as she walked over to the door. She quickly found the right key and placed it into the lock's key hole, but before she could turn the knob, the door swung open to reveal her Texan roommate right behind it. Kaitlyn leaned against the door with a small smirk on her face, which didn't really put Amanda's nerves at ease at all.

"Kaitlyn, what's going on here?" Amanda asked her as she stepped into the house with a suspicious look on her face. "Why do I sense the presence of three other people here along with you and Kelly? You never told me you were expecting guests today?"

"To be honest, they pretty much sprung up on us while you were gone Amanda . . ." said the lightning manipulator as she closed the door behind them and locked it. "They only arrived about a few minutes before you did, and they are _very _interested to see you."

"And what do you mean by that?" Amanda asked unsurely as she allowed Kaitlyn to pull her down the hallway toward the living room. When they reached the room, a look of surprise showed up on her face as she looked at the three men in the room, her blue eyed stare settling more on the tallest man than the other two. "Well, well, well . . . I didn't expect to see you again . . ."

"Likewise . . ." said Randy as he took a step forward. "By the way, I never got the chance to thank you for the assist against that other vampire earlier this morning."

"No problem, although I have to admit that it was rude of me to leave you and your friend behind to clean up the uh . . . mess," Amanda said apologetically as she scratched the back of her neck. "However . . . I have a feeling that you're not here for an apology, are you?"

"If only it was for that reason . . ." Randy said with a sigh as he shook his head. Cody and Ted watched the exchange with quiet interest, while Kelly and Kaitlyn just looked on in complete confusion.

"Okay, that's enough you two . . . before you get into the exact reason why you three came here in the first place, you two have some explaining to do!" said Kaitlyn as she pointed Amanda and Randy's way. "Like seriously? You two have met before?!"

"This morning actually . . ." Randy said with a small nod of his head as he turned to Kaitlyn. "Amanda here gave me and a fellow coworker of ours a hand in dealing with a vampire that was following her while she was out jogging."

"Hmm, it's nice to know that you remembered my name . . ." Amanda said as a slightly embarrassed look came across her face. "I just can't say the same for me when it comes to your name, since you never told me your name when we first saw each other this morning."

"My apologies . . ." said the Viper, which shocked Ted and Cody, who weren't really used to hearing the Viper speak to another person with that kind of formal language. Usually, his language was very simple, blunt, and frank. "My name is Randy. The mustache man behind me is Cody and the other one is Ted."

"Nice to meet you both . . ." Amanda said with a welcoming smile on her face as she did a small nod to both Ted and Cody. "So . . . Why exactly have you three decided to track me down to doorstep all of a sudden? I'm sure you have a good reason."

"We do, but first, why don't we all just take a seat . . ." said Randy as he gestured to the seats around them. "What we have to share with you is something that you probably would want to take a seat for."

"Okay then . . ." said Amanda as she sat down in the chair nearest to her, which was one of the silver armchairs. Kelly sat down in the other armchair while Kaitlyn and Cody took the couch. Randy and Ted were the only ones that remained standing. "So, what's the reason behind your visit boys? I'm just so curious to know . . ."

"Well . . . for starters, we might as well tell you what we work as for our opening statement. It'll help make the explanation that much . . . smoother," said Ted as Randy crossed his arms. "Anyway, let's just say our kind of work doesn't follow the most . . . _legal _of means."

"You don't follow the most legal of means?" asked Kaitlyn as she shook her head. "Why do I have the feeling that you three work in a profession that most people would consider dangerous and, worst of all, deadly?"

"Because we work in a profession that most people would consider dangerous and deadly. . ." said Cody as he turned to her. "To be blunt, girls, we're mercenaries."

"Say what now?!" Kelly asked in shock as Kaitlyn looked at Cody in blunt disbelief. Randy turned to Amanda to gauge her reaction, but all he got from her was a calm, centered expression, as if she expected this, which she probably did after encountering him earlier in the day. The Viper was pretty impressed with how she was handling it so far. "You guys are freaking mercenaries?"

"You mean like, the kind hired by mysterious clients, killing enemies, and working for secret organizations? Like the kind of mercenaries you see on TV?" asked Kaitlyn as she looked at the men.

"That's exactly it! However, we're not ones for appearing on TV," said Cody as he shook his head. "We usually work on supernatural jobs, but once in a while, we'll get work that involves humans."

"Since you guys mostly work on supernatural cases, I'm guessing you like to keep things as discreet as possible right?" Amanda asked with an eyebrow raised as she looked up at Randy.

"We like to keep things as quiet as possible, yes," said the Viper as he leaned against the wall. "We make sure to do our jobs silently and efficiently so that humans won't notice our actions. We try to avoid becoming front page news at all costs . . . Its company policy, so to speak."

"Okay, that's understandable . . ." said Amanda as she shook her head. "So, why exactly are you three here? What do you guys want with me?"

"About a few days ago, our sources learned that a small mercenary cell from overseas has come to town in search of someone," said Randy as Amanda narrowed her eyes in contemplation. ". . . And that someone is you Amanda."

"Me?" Amanda asked unsurely as Kaitlyn let out an audible gasp at Randy's announcement. "Why would a mercenary cell be interested in me out of all people?"

"We're not entirely sure, but the utilization of your psychic powers could be a possible reason for why they want you." Ted said with a small shrug.

"Do you know who exactly hired the mercenary cell that's after Amanda?" Kelly asked with a worried look on her face as she turned to Ted. "Maybe whoever hired them is connected to her somehow."

"We have no idea exactly who hired the cell to come after your friend here," said Cody as he shook his head. "But we do know that the cell has known connections to the main branch of the Romanian vampire coven. Our best guess is that the client is a high ranking member in that group."

"Do you know anyone that's a part of the Romanian coven, or anyone that's connected to the coven in any way?" Randy asked Amanda as they turned to face each other once again. "They don't have to be an actual vampire."

"No, I'm sorry I can't help you there . . ." Amanda answered him sincerely as she shook her head. "I've never met anyone that's part of that coven, or connected to it in anyway. I know a lot of people, but I don't know anyone that was born in Romania or flew there recently."

"Well the connection thing I brought up has instantly brought us nowhere." mumbled Kelly as she wrapped her arms around herself. "One potential lead is now probably down the proverbial drain."

"It was a good thing to bring up though," said Cody as he turned to her with a small smirk on his face. "Even if it ended up being a dead end, it was worth a pretty good shot."

"So, I guess you guys have been hired to protect me, or something along the like . . . right?" Amanda asked as she slowly got up from her chair.

"Basically," Randy said with a small nod of his head. "Our bosses and client gave us the task of protecting you at all costs, and that's what we intend to do . . . We're probably going to have to protect your two friends here as well."

"Protect us?" Kaitlyn asked in her Texas drawl as she and Kelly exchanged concerned glances with each other. "Why?"

"Mostly due to your close association with her," Cody said as he nodded his head Amanda's way. "If the cell knows about Amanda here, then they probably know about you two as well. The mercenaries could come after you two in order to lead Amanda into their clutches."

"That does sound possible," mumbled Kelly as Amanda shot her roommates a sheepish look. "Huh, you three came here to protect one girl, and now you end up protecting three. You think you guys are going to be paid extra for this?"

"I hope so!" said Ted as he let out a breath. As soon as he saw Randy and Cody shooting him intense narrow-eyed gazes, Ted quickly backtracked. "Although the amount we're promised for protecting just Amanda should be more than enough . . ."

"Speaking of payment and client, who exactly hired you three to protect me?" Amanda asked as she took a step forward toward Randy.

"Whoever hired us wants to remain anonymous, just like all of our clients before him," said Randy as he looked into Amanda's eyes, instantly noticing how deep the blues of her eyes were as he spoke. "Our bosses probably know who he or she is, but they never speak much when it comes to revealing who our clients are. . ."

"Well, there goes my plan to write your client a heartfelt thank you letter . . ." Amanda mumbled with a shake of her head, her long curls flailing left and right as she moved. "So, how exactly is this going to go? Are you guys just going to shadow me as the days go by?"

"That's what we usually do, but I'm not so sure now," said Cody as he snuck a look at Randy. "Whenever we get jobs like these, we usually follow a certain routine that we've had since our first, uh, 'protecting a target' mission, so to speak."

"What's the routine you usually follow then?" Kaitlyn asked as she began to crack her knuckles. "If this isn't what you usually do when you're protecting a target, then what do you usually do?"

"Well, we usually just hide out and shadow the people we're supposed to protect. We don't reveal ourselves till it's absolutely necessary," said Cody as he got up from his seat. "However, Randy here decided that we should just introduce ourselves to you guys instead of hiding in the dark. He wanted to, uh, 'mix' things up a little."

"Did he really want to mix things up a little, or did he figure since he knew that I have psychic powers, it would be no use to try to hide from me?" Amanda asked with a knowing look on her face as she eyed the man in question.

"It was both, actually," said Ted as he turned to Amanda, obviously impressed with her sudden conclusion. "How did you figure it out so easily? Did you use your powers on him?"

"I pretty much used logical reasoning . . ." Amanda said with a small nod of her head. "I may be psychic, but I'm not one of those psychics that tend to look into the thoughts and memories of every new person that she meets. I respect the mental privacy of others. Besides, I don't usually use my powers unless for self-defense or when someone asks me to, but they usually ask me to use my abilities on them."

"Why would they do that?" asked Cody as he raised an eyebrow.

"Mostly they want to remember old memories that they have forgotten over the years," said Amanda as she checked her watch. "It could be memories from way back in their childhood, or old skills that they feel they are forgetting about so they need me to replay them to give them a refresher . . ."

"What she says is true!" said Kaitlyn as she jumped back into the conversation. "I asked her once to look into my memories so that I could remember where I put my lost keys."

"I remember that day," said Kelly as she narrowed her eyes. "Your mind was so . . . flighty back then. I'm amazed you managed to even dress correctly that day."

"I was having a bad day!" said Kaitlyn as she pointed at her fellow blonde. "Cut me some slack!"

"You were basically tearing up the whole house in search of those keys, when they were actually in your back pocket the whole time," Amanda said as she sent Kaitlyn a blunt look. "You made this living room look like a freaking war zone!"

"Yes! Yes, it looked like a war zone, but I did put everything back together once I embarrassingly realized my keys were in my back pocket," said Kaitlyn as she jumped out of her chair. "I bet you guys have forgotten something in your lives and then realized it was in an obvious place that you should have thought of in the first place. C'mon, tell me I'm not the only one in this room that's experienced this in the past!"

"I'll admit . . . I sometimes forget where I place my money when I'm going somewhere . . ." said Ted as he shook his head. ". . . I could never find a twenty when I need it most."

"I sometimes forget where I put my moustache comb," offered Cody. When everyone shot him blunt stares, he looked at everyone with a confused look on his dashing face. "What? What did I say?"

"Two words: moustache comb," Amanda said as she counted the two words off her fingers. "Who the hell carries a moustache comb with them everywhere they go?"

"Uh . . . People who have moustaches of course!" said Cody as he brought a hand to his chin. "Wait . . . moustache combs aren't really a thing?"

"Most sensible men do not carry moustache combs with them!" said Ted as he turned to his comrade. "We've had this talk before Cody!"

"Yes, we've had this talk before," said Cody as he shook his head. "That doesn't mean that I was paying attention to it and was actually going to follow your advice and ditch my comb, or my whole moustache for that matter."

"You need to ditch that caterpillar on your face you call a moustache," said Ted as he shook his head. "It just does not look good on you, and it's killing your game with the ladies."

"It's not killing my game with the ladies Ted," said Cody as he shook his head. "I've told you this time and time again, but you just won't let it go."

"Have you even managed to hook up with any woman ever since you decided to grow the peach fuzz on your face?" Ted asks with a knowing smirk on his face. When Cody stayed silent, Ted's smirk grew into a wide grin that the Cheshire cat would have been proud of. "See . . . You have no answer to my question, thus proving my point."

"Just because I didn't answer you, doesn't mean you've been proven right," said Cody as he turned to Kaitlyn and Kelly. "What do you two think? Do I look good with a moustache?"

"Sorry . . . No," Kelly said with a shake of her head. "Your moustache makes you look like a nerd that's waiting for a bully to just come beat him up for his lunch money, or a rookie in the mafia that's trying to grow facial hair to look tough when he actually isn't. It's just . . . not appealing at all."

"You may think his moustache is not appealing Kelly, but I think otherwise," Kaitlyn admitted, gaining shocked looks from Ted and Kelly, and a thankful look from Cody, in return. "I think it's pretty cute."

"See . . . At least one girl likes my moustache." said Cody as he shot Ted a smirk in victory. "Take that Ted!"

"Yeah . . . One!" said Ted as he raised a finger in front of his friend's face. "You're definitely going to have to get more than one girl to like your moustache in order to convince me otherwise Cody."

"Are those two always like this?" Amanda whispered to Randy as the two stood side by side next to the doorway, both of them looking on at the scene before them with bemused looks on their faces. "When I think of mercenaries, them arguing about facial hair does not instantly come to mind."

"Don't worry. They're usually a lot more professional than this, but sometimes, they do tend to have their moments," said Randy as he kept his eyes glued on the scene. "Do your two friends tend to act the same way?"

"You have no idea . . ." Amanda asked him as the two tuned to face each other. "So, how long do you think it would be before those . . . other mercenaries come after me?"

"I don't know . . ." Randy told her with a shake of his head. "All I know is that I have a job to do, and that is to protect you, and I'm damn well planning to complete it."

"I'm glad to know that . . ." Amanda said with a shake of her head before walking out the room. Randy watched her leave before following after her, which didn't go unnoticed from the rest of the group.

"Something is going on between those two . . ." Kaitlyn mumbled under her breath as she looked at the doorway Amanda and Randy disappeared through. "I just can't place my finger on it."

"Me neither . . ." said Ted as he let out a chuckle. "All I can say is that it's definitely going to be interesting watching those two interact with each other throughout this mission. They'll be quite the pair to watch."

**Please review!**


	7. Morning Exercise

Chapter 7: Morning Exercise

_**The next morning**_

"Good morning Kaitlyn." Kelly called sleepily as she walked into the kitchen, the smell of just brewed coffee beckoning her forward as she reached the coffee pot. Kaitlyn let out a small chuckle as she watched her fellow blonde clumsily pour herself a cup of Joe before joining her at the table. She couldn't help but let a few jokes come to mind as she watched her friend sit down in the seat across from her, but decided to keep them to herself.

"Morning Sleepyhead," Kaitlyn said back with a grin as she took a sip of her coffee. "Did you have a nice rest?"

"It was pretty nice, knowing that we have three strong, and pretty good looking, vampire mercenaries protecting us and all," Kelly said as she started to wipe the sleep from her eyes. When she was done, she looked around the room expecting at least one of them to be in there with them, but eventually came up with nothing "Uh, speaking of our three strong and pretty good looking mercenary protectors, where are they?"

"Cody is actually outside somewhere scoping out the neighborhood while Randy and Ted went back to their homes to pick up a few things," Kaitlyn said with a smirk as she looked at the clock that was hanging right above the kitchen doorway. "They should be back any minute now."

_Ding-Ding-Ding_

"That must be them right now!" Kaitlyn exclaimed as she got out of her chair and ran toward the doorway, but stopped herself short before exiting. "Or it could be one of those enemy mercenaries that are after Amanda. What should I do?"

"Text one of them then," Kelly suggested to her with a shrug. "They made sure to give us each their phone numbers before we went to bed last night. Use one of those numbers, contact them, and see if they're the ones outside or not."

"Good call! I'll text Cody," Kaitlyn said as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. She sent off a quick text to the mustached vampire, her fingers flying across the screen before stopping. About twenty seconds passed before she got a response, and once she read the return text, she made her way out the room. "It's them alright!"

"Then let them in!" Kelly exclaimed at the retreating female as she turned her attention back on her coffee. Soon enough, Kaitlyn returned to the kitchen with Randy, Cody, and Ted right behind her. Each of them was mysteriously carrying their own black duffle bag. "Uh . . . What's with the bags?"

"It's just some stuff we'll probably need for the next few days that we gathered from home," said Cody as he dropped his bag beside the counter. "Clothes . . . an extra pair of sneakers . . . that kind of stuff. . ."

"Hmm . . . it sounds more like you're slowly moving in rather than protecting us," Kelly said as she finished her coffee. "Are clothes and sneakers really all you have in there?"

"Clothes and sneakers are all that we have in our bags, among other things," Randy said cryptically as he leaned against the doorframe. "Besides, if we're supposed to properly protect you, we have to watch you 24/7 basically."

"Which means sleepovers are a must . . . We won't be sleeping that much though," said Ted as a small smile came across his face. "And speaking of sleeping, where's Amanda?"

"She's probably upstairs in her room. She can be a real heavy sleeper sometimes," Kaitlyn said with a chuckle as she turned to Kelly. "Whose turn is it to wake her up this time anyway, mine's or yours?"

"It's definitely your turn," Kelly said with a mischievous smirk on her face as she put her empty cup into the sink. "What do you have in mind this time?"

"I was thinking a little _fireworks_ display would do." Kaitlyn said with a Cheshire Cat-like grin on her face as she left the room. Ted, Cody, and Randy looked at each other in confusion before turning to Kelly, the only other person in the room that actually knew what was going on.

"Follow me. You'll understand it once you see it," said Kelly as she walked out the room. The three vampires silently followed her into the front of the house, where they climbed up the stairs to the second floor. Kelly led them to Amanda's room at the end of the hallway, which was the largest one on the floor. When they entered the room, all eyes were on Kaitlyn, who was standing right by the queen sized bed. Under the mess of rumpled sheets and disheveled hair was Amanda, who still looked well asleep. "Ready Kaitlyn?"

"I was born ready," Kaitlyn said with a grin as she held up her phone, the screen displaying the various ringtone options. She raised the volume to 100% before taping on the option that said 'Fireworks' and bringing it close to Amanda's ear. The loud, ear splitting noise of fireworks flying was the only thing that could be heard throughout the room, and it was enough to shock the dark-skinned female awake. Her arms and legs started flailing as if she was under attack, and due to her hair blinding her vision, she never noticed the edge of her bed and ended up falling right onto the ground, side-first. "Good morning Amanda!"

"Oh, I see it now," said Cody as he shook his head in understanding. "You guys take turns waking Amanda up when she sleeps in."

"Yep; we're basically Amanda's wake-up call, in a way . . ." Kaitlyn said with a grin as she looked down to see the taller woman shooting her a look that was as cold as ice. "Good morning Amanda! Did you have a peaceful rest?"

"I did, until you came along," Amanda grumbled as she moved her hair away from her eyes. "Like really, the Fireworks ringtone, again? Was that one really necessary?"

"You said it yourself that Kelly and I have permission to wake you up in any way possible if need be," Kaitlyn said with a grin as she pocketed her phone. "And of course, I would take advantage of that. Besides, the 'Fireworks' ringtone is my favorite. It always gets you up in the morning."

"Of course it does . . ." Amanda mumbled with a scowl as she got up on her feet. "What time is it anyway?"

"A little after eight in the morning," said Kaitlyn, a look of realization suddenly coming across her face. "And now that I think about it, I have to get to work."

"What do you work as?" Cody asked Kaitlyn as she stepped back into the hallway.

"I work as a personal trainer," Kaitlyn said with a smirk as Kelly walked into her room. "Amanda, Kelly, and I work at the same gym, but I work there full time while Kelly and Amanda work part time."

"What does Kelly work as?" Ted asked with an eyebrow raised as Kaitlyn stepped into her room.

"A yoga instructor, so yes, flexibility is her strong suit." said Kaitlyn as she popped her head back into the hallway. "Amanda works as a martial arts instructor, but I guess you three knew that one already."

"And how did you know that we knew that piece of information on Amanda?" Cody asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I figured since your bosses assigned you guys to protect Amanda, they probably gave you a little bit of info on her as well," Kaitlyn said with a small shrug. "I've also watched a lot of movies that run along these lines, so I know a thing or two on this kind of subject . . ."

"That girl slightly worries me . . ." mumbles Cody as the three watched as the girl with the two toned hair disappeared into her room, closing the door behind her as she did. "Her level of observance is baffling me a little."

"It is impressive . . ." said Ted with a nod of his head. "I'm going downstairs to have some of the coffee the girls made downstairs. You guys coming?"

"Yeah I am. Someone has to make sure you don't drink out the whole pot," Cody said with a shrug as he followed after Ted. "You coming Randy?"

"I'll be there in a minute. You guys go on ahead without me." Randy said with a wave of his hand as he leaned against the wall. Cody and Ted both shrugged at each other before making their way downstairs, leaving their fellow vampire alone in the hall.

Once Cody and Ted were safely out of view, Randy let out a small breath and walked over to the doorway of Amanda's room. He poked his head inside to see Amanda making her bed. He observed her as she did the small task, watching her every move as she straightened the sheets over her mattress. He couldn't help but notice that the tall woman was dressed in a black camisole with matching shorts, the latter revealing much of her toned and smooth arms and legs.

"How long are you going to continue to observe me from the doorway Randy?" Amanda suddenly asked him as she placed her two pillows along the headboard. Randy looked at her with the slightest hint of disbelief before masking it behind a stoic façade. Amanda looked at him with her arms crossed over her chest, which only helped to enhance her sizeable chest just a smidge. "I'm waiting for an answer."

"I guess my stealth skills are getting a little rusty," Randy reluctantly said for a reply, inwardly kicking himself for being so obvious in the first place. "I'm sorry if my 'observing' is making you uncomfortable."

"No, no worries. It's better to catch the mistake now so you know better for later on," she told him with a shrug. "Besides, you're not the first man to see me with this little on. When you're a model, showing skin is definitely not a rarity in the profession."

"How long have you been modeling anyway?" Randy asked as he leaned against the doorway. He figured that if he was going to protect her, he might as well get to know her a little.

"A long time now," was all Amanda said in response as she walked over to her dresser, which wasn't the answer the tall man was hoping for. "And what about you?"

"What about me?" Randy asked her as he narrowed his eyes.

"How long have you been doing this?" Amanda asked him as she plucked out a gray tank top and a pair of black shorts from her top drawer. "How long have you been in the whole mercenary business? You definitely don't look like you're new to your job. You look like one with years of experience behind him."

"Hmm . . . Let's just say I have been doing my job for a long time now." was all Randy said as Amanda walked over to the adjoining bathroom.

"Fair enough . . ." Amanda said with a nod of her head. "I'm going to get ready for my morning jog. Since you'll most likely be coming with me in order to protect me from any oncoming threats, I suggest you do the same."

"I never realized that she had a bit of a bossy side to her." Randy mumbled under his breath as he walked into the hallway and descended the stairs. "And weirdly . . . I find it impressive."

"What was that Randy?" Ted asked with an eyebrow raised as he met him at the bottom of the staircase with the coffee pot in hand. "What did you find impressive?"

"What I find impressive is that Cody didn't stop you from drinking out of the coffee pot this time," Randy said with a shake of his head, inwardly slapping himself on the back for coming up with that excuse on the fly. "Like really Ted? I hope you're planning to wash that pot when you're done."

"I was pouring a second cup for myself when I heard you coming down the stairs," said Ted as he held up the pot. "So, is Amanda alright?"

"Yeah; she's just getting ready for her morning jog, and I'll be joining her," said Randy as he and Ted made their way back to the kitchen. "You and Cody will be watching over Kaitlyn and Kelly."

"I hope you guys don't mind waiting around in a busy gym for most of the day!" Kaitlyn exclaimed from the second floor. Her loud footsteps were practically barreling down the staircase, soon followed by the slower, paced footsteps of Kelly. The two women soon joined the three vampires in the kitchen, both of them dressed in outfits suitable for a trip to the gym. "Kelly and I are going to be at work until six in the afternoon, so you two are going to have to figure out a way to pass the time by yourselves."

"I could catch up on my reading. I've been planning to read a couple of books for the longest while now, but I've always been putting it off because of missions," Cody suggested as a thoughtful look came across his face. "What are you going to do during that time Ted?"

"I'll figure something out," said Ted with a wave of his hand. "And by the way, when Cody said books, he meant his comic books. This man is an absolute nerd when it comes to all things superhero and supervillain."

"So what if I like comic books? I'm not the only one on the planet that loves it!" Cody exclaimed as he pointed at Ted. "Many people love comics. If people didn't, comic cons would probably not exist today!"

"He's right Ted. I, for one, am also a proud nerd when it comes to all things comic books, although, I have been focusing more on Japanese manga recently," Kaitlyn said with a grin as she pulled her two toned hair into a tight ponytail. "Cody, care to suggest some comic books I could read in the future?"

"He could do that for you while we're in the car. We have to get moving or else we'll be late." Kelly said with a pout as she grabbed a set of car keys from out of one of the kitchen drawers.

"But we haven't had breakfast yet!" Kaitlyn exclaimed as she followed Kelly out the room, quickly followed by Ted and Cody, the latter inwardly amazed that he and Kaitlyn had something in common.

"We'll get something to eat along the way!" was all Kelly said as the sound of the front door swinging open easily hit Randy's sensitive eardrums, as well as the same door shutting closed seconds afterward. Randy couldn't help but mumble something about how Cody and Ted were going to have quite the day ahead of themselves as he walked over to his duffle bag. He quickly took out a red t-shirt, black running pants, and his old Nike sneakers from the bag before making his way to the hallway bathroom. With his vampire-heightened speed, Randy changed out of his all black mercenary outfit and into his other clothes, emerging from the bathroom seconds after he stepped into it.

"I see you get ready fast . . ."

Randy turned his head to see Amanda staring at him from the base of the staircase, already dressed for her morning jog with her hair pulled up into a braided ponytail.

"Go ahead and put your mercenary clothes away. I'll wait for you in the foyer," Amanda told him with a smirk. Randy nodded his head before making his way back to his duffle bag. Once he put all his gear away, he joined the psychic woman in the foyer, where he found her stretching out her arms and legs. "Do you usually exercise Randy?"

"Not as much as I would like, to be perfectly honest with you," Randy told her as he opened the door for her. "Being the hired killing machine that I am, it doesn't leave me much time to exercise."

"But considering the profession you're in, I have to imagine that being physically fit is a basic requirement for the job," Amanda told him with a shrug. "But with you also being a vampire, the idea of exercise sounds a little . . . _redundant, _if you know what I mean."

"You make a good point. It does sound odd for vampires, known for their enhanced speed and strength, to do daily exercises and go to the gym and all that, doesn't it?" Randy asked with a thoughtful look on his face as he closed the door, making sure to lock it tight before joining Amanda down at the bottom of the porch steps. "People that are turned into vampires can exercise, but their bodies are frozen as soon as the venom gets into their system."

"So no matter how much exercise a person does . . . No matter how much running, cardio, yoga, or any kind of exercise a person tries, they won't feel any effect from it?" Amanda asked with a shake of her head. ". . . It sounds like such a wasted effort if you ask me."

"I know. I've met a few fat vampires in my life that still tend to exercise on a daily basis, thinking that they can still get that perfect body they're aspiring for, but no. They're all stuck with the same result. They're stuck with their 'imperfect' bodies for life," Randy told her as they stepped onto the sidewalk. "Unlike vampires like me, on the other hand. I can exercise as much as I want, and the results show afterward."

"Really?" Amanda asked as she raised an eyebrow. "How is that possible? Are you some kind of 'special' vampire or something?"

"Hmm . . . something like that," Randy said with a smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest. "So which way do we go? You know the area better than I do."

Amanda looked at him curiously, her mind starting to swirl with questions on the 'special' vampires and what kind of special vampire Randy was exactly. Holding her questions off for later, Amanda began jogging left, Randy quickly following after her as he matched her pace. As they began their jog, neither person noticed that a person was watching them from the rooftop of one of the buildings across the street. The person watched as they crossed the street before taking his phone out of his pocket to dial a number.

"Sir, the target is on the move," said the person in his thick Romanian accent as he spoke in a low tone, careful to make sure that Randy didn't hear a word he said. "Bad news: Orton's with her."

"That's no good . . ." the voice on the other end said, but his calm tone didn't give any hint of worry or concern. "Follow them for now. Make sure they don't notice you, especially Orton!"

"Yes sir!" the man said with conviction in his tone before hanging up. He quickly pocketed his phone before jumping off the roof and into the backyard, his mouth turned into a conniving smirk as he started his next task.

**Please review!**


	8. Trailed on the Train

Chapter 8: Trailed on the Train

"So, where exactly are we jogging off to?" Randy couldn't help but ask, curious to know where exactly they were heading. "Are we sticking to just jogging around the neighborhood, or are we jogging somewhere else?"

"You know the city's waterfront right?" Amanda asked with a smirk as they jogged down the block. Randy nodded his head yes. "We're going to go there. It's one of my favorite places to jog through in the morning."

"But that's on the other side of town. Are we going to jog all the way there?" Randy asked her with an eyebrow raised. He knew he could cross that long distance in no time flat, whether he was going at human speed or vampire speed. He asked out of concern for her, thinking that she may be biting off more than she could chew. As soon as they reached the end of the block and turned the corner, his concerned thoughts were quickly abandoned as soon as his eyes found the entryway to the underground train station. "Forget what I said . . ."

Amanda let out a small chuckle at that, her eyes stealing a small peek at the hint of tattoo ink that was showing along the man's wrists. It made the woman wonder how much ink Randy was hiding under the form fitting, long sleeved t-shirt he wore. Saving her question for later, Amanda led Randy down the staircase and into the station. She paid both of their subway fares at the turnstile before the two quickly made their way down the platform, which was already filled with plenty of people heading off to their various locations.

"I guess you take the train often right?" Randy simply asked as they walked toward the end of the platform.

"Most of the time anyway . . ." Amanda said with a shrug. "Other times I just drive my Camaro where I need to go."

"So the Camaro is definitely your car then?" Randy asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"That's correct. I bought that Camaro years ago with my own money. The Camry is Kelly's car, well, if you were wondering," Amanda answered him as the sounds of an incoming train echoed from somewhere down the slightly illuminated tunnel. "And as for Kaitlyn, well, she knows how to drive, but she's never got around to buying a car for herself."

"Why?"

"She figures that asking to borrow one of our cars is easier than buying one for herself. However, she usually asks to borrow the Camry when she needs to go somewhere," Amanda told him as a train pulled into the station. "I don't like sharing my Camaro with people."

"Well aren't you just a little stingy . . ." Randy said with a shake of his head. "You don't like letting people drive your car? It's understandable since cars, especially the kind like the one you own, are expensive, but still . . ."

"Well, I was willing to let people drive my car at first," Amanda quickly said with a scowl on her face as the train pulled to a stop. "But then an ex-boyfriend of mine pretty much ruined it for any future hopefuls wanting a shot to drive my Camaro, which did indeed cost me a pretty penny, if you don't mind me adding."

"I'm sure it did . . ." Randy said as the doors slid open, his mind involuntarily going over the word 'ex-boyfriend', as if there was some hidden meaning behind it. "What exactly did this 'ex-boyfriend' of yours do when he drove your car?"

"He got it into a minor car accident. It cost me thousands of dollars to get my car fixed. He didn't want to take responsibility for what he did, so I dumped the boy's sorry ass soon afterward. . . It was a long time coming anyway. I seriously needed to kick the bastard to the curb," Amanda told him as her scowl deepened. Randy shot her a curious glance as they boarded the crowded train. With most of the passengers packing themselves around the middle of the train car, Randy maneuvered himself and Amanda over to one corner of the train that wasn't as crowded. It was made even easier thanks to the people moving out of Randy's way without him needing to ask. Most of them looked pretty intimidated by the tall vampire, with good reason, considering what Randy was capable of. "You really know how to draw attention to yourself don't you?"

"It's natural for regular humans to be afraid of me. . ." Randy said in a hushed tone as the train began to move, his hand moving to grip a bar that was hanging above him in order to maintain his balance. "Their natural instinct of self-preservation perceives me as a threat to their well-being. They just don't understand why that instinct is acting up though."

"You got to love oblivious humans . . ." Amanda said with a chuckle as she leaned against the wall. "And I guess you avoid trains as much as you can because of how _uncomfortable_ you make people feel right?"

"Trains _and_ buses," Randy said with a shrug. "Basically any public transportation that people frequent, when I can help it. . ."

"Including airports?"

"Including airports," Randy answered with a nod of his head. "However, I only go to airports when I'm given an assignment overseas."

"If that's the case, I guess you're not one for overseas vacations huh?" Amanda asked with a knowing look on her face. Randy looked at her with a simple glance, impressed that the woman before him was able to deduce details about him through so little that was already said. "I figured as much."

"You really have a gift of figuring out details on people with the little info you get don't you?" Randy asked with a challenging tone in his voice.

"It's something that my mom has taught me since I was a little girl," said Amanda as she crackled her knuckles. "If someone is reluctant to give you their backstory, figure it out for yourself through the stuff that he or she does tell you."

"Your mother sounds like a smart woman." Randy complimented as the train bypassed an empty station.

"Yeah, she is, but you probably wouldn't like her," Amanda told him as her gaze began to wander throughout the train car. "No matter who you are or what kind of person you are, my mother has a tendency to look into peoples' heads without getting their permission to. Unfortunately, she passed that little quirk of hers onto my sister."

"I would not approve of psychics stealing peeks into my mind without my permission," Randy said in quick agreement as the train stopped at another station. "So things would be a little tense between me and some of your _nosy_ relatives."

"I'm glad we managed to clear that up . . ." Amanda said with sarcasm laced in her tone as she continued to look around their environment. "Randy, how long do you think it'll take before those Romanian mercenaries try to come after me?"

"I don't know, to be perfectly honest with you," Randy told her as he placed his free hand into his pocket. "The last recorded activity of those Romanians was that guy following you yesterday while you were out on your jog. After that, nothing . . . They're probably in the process of rethinking their strategy."

"I have the strange feeling that you're probably the main reason why they have to rethink their strategy." Amanda couldn't help but say as she brought a hand to her chin.

"Yeah . . . guilty as charged," Randy shamelessly said as he spotted a man looking at the two of them from the other side of the train car. "If the Romanians know that I'm the one that's assigned to protect you, they'll be busy rethinking their strategy for quite a while."

"You must be that good at your job then . . ." Amanda said with a complimenting smirk as she followed his gaze. "What's wrong?"

"That man over there . . ." Randy whispered in a low tone as he nodded his head in the person's direction. Amanda's gaze was already locked on the person Randy was talking about before he could even finish his sentence. Her eyes were trained on a young man with sleek black hair and a clean shaven face with a hawkish nose. The leather jacket and black jeans he wore helped to compliment his fair and blemish free skin tone. "Don't you think he seems a little . . . _odd _to you?"

"He does seem like that, doesn't he. I don't know exactly why, but I don't get a good vibe from him," Amanda mumbled under her breath as the two locked eyes with each other, his ice blue eyes looking squarely into her deeper blue ones. "You think he's with the guys that are targeting me?"

"That's a strong possibility . . ." Randy said rather quickly as he snuck a look at the other man again. "C'mon, let's move to another train car. I want to see if he'll follow us."

Amanda simply nodded before following Randy to the next train car. The car they were now in was substantially less crowded than the last one, which made it easier for the two to make their way to a pair of empty seats at the other end of it. When they finally got seated, the two turned their heads to see that the same fair skinned man with the hawkish nose had followed them. He kept his eyes to the floor as he walked in order to not draw attention to himself, but that only gained Randy's attention even more.

"Alright, he followed us," Amanda mumbled as she placed a hand on her hip. "What should we do now?"

"Right now, I want you to look into that guy's mind for me," Randy said in a tone so low that it would be impossible for the other guy to hear, even if he did have enhanced hearing. In order to not draw any suspicion to themselves, Randy decided to whisper his order close to Amanda's ear, giving the illusion that the two were a couple sharing a closely guarded secret. For Amanda, she didn't know why, but Randy's actions shot a small shiver down her spine. "With your telepathy, we'll be able to find out everything he knows."

"The question is this: How much does the guy even know in the first place?" Amanda mumbled with a frown, her breath barely above a whisper as she closed her eyes. Before Randy could say another word, the model's eyes opened back up. "Alright, I got what we need."

"That fast?" Randy asked her in slight shock. "I don't think a minute has even passed yet."

"His mind is very open, very susceptible to psychic prodding . . ." Amanda said as she brought a hand to her chin. "It may be a little too open for my tastes . . ."

"If that's the case, then he either let you read his mind, or he's too unskilled to block you out," Randy said with a shake of his head. "What did you manage to find out?"

"Our stalker friend down the aisle is definitely part of the group of mercenaries that are after me," Amanda explained as she looked at the poster across the aisle. "He's not really a high ranking member of the group though. He's just been tasked to follow and watch me, making sure that neither of us noticed him."

"Well, I guess it's too late for that now," Randy said with a small shake of his head. "How much longer till we get to the waterfront?"

"About another four five stops . . . It'll take us another ten minutes to get to the waterfront, five if we sprint our way there," Amanda said with a simple shrug. "All I can say for now is the people that are after me are definitely wary of you."

"Oh really?" Randy asked with the tiniest smirks on his face. "How so?"

"Well . . . While I was looking through the guy's mind, a recent memory of his got my attention," Amanda told him as she discreetly pointed to their stalker. "Before he started following us, he made a phone call to his superior. Apparently, it's definitely bad news that you're the one that's been assigned to protect me. His boss told the guy that he especially must not let you notice him . . . The thing is though, he didn't sound scared at all. His boss sounded calm and serene, as if the idea of you being my protector didn't disturb him one bit."

"He's not concerned with me at all . . . Well I feel insulted . . ." grumbled the Viper as the train pulled into another station. "C'mon, let's go. We're getting off here."

"Why?" Amanda asked him as the train came to a stop. "This isn't the station I planned for us to get off at. What do you have in mind Randy?"

"You'll see . . ." Randy told her as they got out of their chairs. Once they exited the train, they made their way up the stairs and exited the station to see that they were in another residential neighborhood of the city, but instead of single family residences, the neighborhood was filled to the brim with apartment buildings, 15 story tall apartment buildings. "Oh good . . . I've been to this neighborhood before. Have you?"

"Only once, but it was for a photoshoot I did years ago," Amanda told him as she looked around at their surroundings. "I've haven't been here on a jog before, but I guess there is a first time for everything . . . How many times have you been here Randy?"

"I've been here on a few occasions, mostly for missions," Randy told her as the two crossed the street. "Let's just say I had to take out quite a few demons when I was here those days."

"The demons didn't give you that much trouble did they?" Amanda asked with a playful smirk on her face.

"Oh no . . . They were quite easy to eliminate," Randy told her as he snuck a look behind him to see if the same man was following them. The man was indeed following them, walking about 40 feet behind them with his head looking down, as if the ground held more interest to him than them. "Except for this one fire demon . . . Almost got me right in the back with a damn fireball. I would have been burnt to a crisp if he nailed me with it."

"How'd you beat him?" Amanda then asked him, curiosity prevalent in her tone as Randy guided her into the courtyard of one of the apartment buildings.

"I snapped his neck," Randy told her in a nonchalant tone, so nonchalant that it sounded like he didn't have a care in the world. If Amanda was disturbed by her protector's statement, she didn't visibly show it. "In order to make sure the fire demon is truly dead, I had to submerge its body in water. So I ended up bringing the body over to a nearby community pool in order to finish the job. The body dissolved as soon as I chucked it in there."

"Huh . . . I've only known you for a couple of days and I've now learned how to make sure to keep a fire demon dead. Thanks," Amanda said with a slightly exasperated look on her face. "Now then . . . what do you have planned for our 'friend' back there?"

"You'll see . . . Just follow my lead." Randy told her with a smirk as he led her toward one of the buildings. The man that was following them continued to do so, inwardly curious as to what Orton was planning to go to with the target. Once Randy and Amanda disappeared behind one of the buildings, the stalker quickly followed after him, but as soon as he turned the corner, he was met with a swift and sudden punch to the gut. Before he could react, the stalker was lifted a couple of feet before being slammed to the ground, the pavement slightly cracking on impact.

It didn't take long for the stalker to realize that he was ambushed by Randy, who was keeping him pinned to the ground by the arms. Amanda stood a few feet away with her hands on her hips and her eyes trained squarely on the man lying on the ground.

"Huh . . . There's no visible damage to your body and I didn't hear any of your bones cracking on impact . . . You must be from a tough supernatural race if you were able to withstand the force of the slam," Randy complimented as the man he pinned looked at him out of rage. "Now, now, don't look at me like that man. You brought this on yourself when you decided to follow us in order to keep eyes on my friend here. If you want someone to blame, blame yourself."

"You got some balls for punching me and pinning me to the ground in broad daylight Mr. Orton," the stalker growled out, his eyes blazing in fury as he tried to break free from the Viper's grip, but to no avail. Randy was just too strong. "Don't you think that was a bit too reckless of you huh? Someone could have seen you assaulting me Mr. Orton. What would you do then?"

"He doesn't need to do anything," Amanda said as she stared daggers at the pinned man. "If anyone looks our way, all they will see are the three of us chatting like good friends, not Randy here pinning you to the ground while I stand here observing the both of you."

"You've used your powers to deploy a visual illusion to ensure no one outside of us three knows what's being transpired now. . . That is impressive. Most psychics have to put a lot of concentration into doing an illusion of such magnitude. It usually results in a lot of mental strain afterward. However, you are able to do it without any apparent trouble, with such ease . . ." the stalker said with undisputed awe in his voice. "No wonder our client has paid us a high price to capture you Psychic."

"Who exactly is your client?" Randy asked with a growl as he brought his foot to the man's neck. "Who the hell are you working for?"

"Sorry, but I don't even know that one Mr. Viper," said the man as he started struggling to breathe as Randy increased the pressure on the guy's neck. "I'm considered a low level lackey in the group. They barely tell me anything, making sure the real truths you seek are kept well-guarded between a limited selection of people. All I'm really assigned to do is follow her and that's it. If you were hoping to get more information out of me, you are definitely out of luck my friend."

"I guess you don't need me to verify if he's telling the truth or not, because he is," Amanda grumbled. "His mind is clean. He is just a low level lackey not privileged to hear the info the higher ranking members of the cell know . . . So, Randy, what are we going to do with him now?"

"Well, let's just say that if he knew more information, he could have lived just a little longer." Randy said in a cold voice, his eyes looking void of all emotion as he increased the pressure of his foot on the man's throat. Barely able to breath, the man desperately tried to claw at Randy's sneakered foot with his free hand, but to no avail. A minute barely passed before the light faded from the man's eyes and his last breath passed his lips.

When Randy saw that the man was finally deceased, he took a deep breath and turned to Amanda, who was looking right at him with an eyebrow raised. He was expecting her to look at him in disbelief, fear; shock . . . All he got from her was a look that screamed 'Are you kidding me man?' "You didn't bother to look away from what just transpired just now didn't you?"

"I indeed just watched you squeeze the life out of a guy with your sneaker wearing foot, my mercenary friend," Amanda told him simply as she looked around their surroundings. "Don't expect me to start going into shock or crying my eyes out or running away from you like you're some psychotic madman that I should avoid at all costs because he's going on a bloody rampage, because I'm not."

"Why though?" Randy asked her quickly, slightly shocked that she was remaining so calm despite watching him kill a man with such ease.

"As a mercenary that's been assigned to protect me, I have to expect you to do things that most people would get freaked out about, like killing in broad daylight," Amanda told him as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Besides, there's no point in running away from you anyway. You're a vampire, and with your heightened sense of smell, it wouldn't take you long to track me down. Plus you know where I live, so what's the point?"

"Good . . . we're both on the same page then," Randy said with a little bit of unsureness in his tone. "Now, I need to dispose of the body, and you're going to help."

"Hmm . . . All I wanted to do was go on my morning jog, but now here I am helping my mercenary protector dispose of a body I watched him kill, and I haven't had breakfast yet," Amanda said with a chuckle as Randy shot her a narrow eyed look. "What a day this is becoming . . ."

"Hey . . . I'm assigned to protect you, not to hear your sass," the Viper grumbled as he picked the body up and hiked it over his shoulder. "Now keep your illusion going while we move. We don't want anyone freaking out over me carrying a dead body over my shoulder."

"Whatever you say, Mr. Viper," Amanda said with a playful scowl. Randy shot her a cold look before walking away, the psychic following close at his heels. She then mumbled under her breath. "Damn . . . lighten up a little."

"Heard that."

**Please review!**


	9. Late Night Blues

Chapter 9: Late Night Blues

"I have learned a valuable lesson about myself today," Ted proclaimed with an enlightened look on his face. "Today, I learned that I was not as flexible as I originally thought. Flexibility is absolutely not my strong suit."

"You definitely proved that today Ted," Cody said as he tried to stifle his chuckle behind his hand. "I have never seen a person fail so much at doing yoga until you did it today. I can't wait to tell Randy all about it."

"Please don't tell him I suck at yoga. I don't need him teasing me about it for the rest of the week," Ted said as his look of enlightenment turned into a look of annoyance. "You and Kaitlyn have already done enough for ten people already."

"And we're not done yet," Kaitlyn stated with a grin as she rested her head on one of the backseat's headrest. "Your performance in Kelly's yoga class was something that had to be seen to be believed. I especially loved the part where you turned yourself into a vampire pretzel for a good hour and a half."

"It wasn't that hard actually. I easily got into the position alright. I just couldn't get myself out of it." Ted said with a scowl as the house came into view.

"You easily got into the position?" Kelly asked him incredulously as she tapped her fingers along the steering wheel. "I saw you get into that position Ted. You were struggling, STRUGGLING! The other teachers were laughing their asses off when they saw you attempt even the most basic of yoga poses."

"Yeah . . . I heard them," Ted said with a scowl as he pointed to his ears. "When you're a vampire, you tend to hear stuff that you don't want to. They were mocking me to no end."

"Well . . . you were the one that decided to bite off more than he could chew in the first place," Kaitlyn said with a knowing smirk as Kelly pulled the car into the driveway beside Amanda's Camaro. "You, yourself, are to blame for your stupidity."

"Thank you for the realization Kaitlyn. I so needed it," Ted said with a scowl as the car came to a stop. "Anyway guys . . . Please don't mention my gym fiasco to Randy."

"You had a fiasco at the gym?"

"AW SHIT!" Ted exclaimed in absolute shock as he, as well as everyone else inside the car, turned their heads to see Randy standing right next to the car with the smallest of smirks on his face. He was dressed in all black once again, seemingly materializing out of thin air to greet the group. "Damn it man! Where did you come from just now?"

"As if I would tell you that . . . You know what they say: A good magician never reveals his secrets," Randy said in a cryptic tone of voice as everyone exited the vehicle. "So, what's all this about a 'fiasco' at the gym that you don't want to tell me about Ted?"

"I'll keep it simple for all of us," Cody said with a smirk as he patted a sullen looking Ted right on the shoulder. "Ted sucks at yoga."

"You should have seen him Randy. Every time he tried a yoga move, it was like a car crash waiting to happen. It was way too funny. The struggle was absolutely unreal," Kaitlyn said with a giddy smile on her face as she looked at the tall man. She quickly stopped smiling when she noticed the distant look on his face, and inwardly thought that she saw a trace of sadness within the man's icy blue eyes. Without saying a word, Randy walked away from the group and over to the porch, leaving the others in his dust, and in a slight state of confusion. "Uh . . . Was it something I said?"

"Oh don't worry about it. This happens sometimes . . ." said Cody as they four watched the taller man enter the house. "Let's just say that something that you just said reminded him of something from his past and just leave it at that alright?"

"I see . . . Why do I have the sudden feeling that if I tried to ask Randy about his past, he won't even bother answering me?" Kaitlyn asked with a small pout on her face.

"Because he definitely won't answer you," Cody told her with a shrug. "Randy is very private when it comes to his past. He'll barely speak about it, and when he does, it's a very rare occasion."

"Even Cody and I don't know much about Randy's whole past, and we've been working with him for years now," Ted said with a smirk as the group made their way over to the steps. "We only know about him from what we've seen and heard while on the job, but don't ask us to splurge on the details."

"Why not?" Kelly asked as they entered the house. "Has Randy sworn you guys to absolute secrecy in regards to his personal details?"

"Something like that . . ." Cody said with a shrug as the four walked down the hallway. They entered the kitchen to see Amanda leaning against the counter with a soda in hand. "Hi Amanda . . . Did you have a nice day with Randy?"

"Oh yes. It was very . . . _educational._" Amanda told him with a nod before finishing the last of her drink. "I got a firsthand lesson in what you guys do for a living during my jog just this morning."

"A firsthand lesson?" Ted asked as the two vampires turned their eyes on the psychic. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, a member of the mercenary cell that's after me was tailing Randy and I as were heading for the waterfront. I had no idea the guy was around till Randy spotted him out on the train," Amanda said with a shrug as she placed her empty soda can onto the counter. "We managed to catch the guy behind an apartment building, but after a short interrogation, we got nothing out of him."

"Nothing?" asked Cody as Kelly and Kaitlyn leaned against the wall with unsure looks on their faces. "You got nothing out of him, at all?"

"We looked through his phone, but it was clean. I also looked through the man's thoughts and memories. He was just a low level lackey. He wasn't privy to any important info," Amanda calmly explained to them as she crossed her arms over her chest. "All he was assigned to do was to watch and follow me and that was it."

"I'm guessing Randy didn't let him off with a warning right?" Kelly nervously asked as she weaved her fingers together.

"Oh no . . . He definitely didn't do that," Amanda said with a shake of her head, just as Randy walked into the room, the distant look now gone from his face. "Randy, would you like to share with the others what you did to my stalker, or should I have the honors."

"I killed him, plain and simple," Randy told the room. Kelly looked at him in absolute shock while Kaitlyn simply raised an eyebrow. Cody and Ted faces remained the same as Randy said his piece, mostly because they've been through this routine before. "I simply suffocated him with my foot in order to keep him quiet."

"You do know that if the guy that was stalking Amanda doesn't report back in, his buddies will know that something's amiss right?" Cody asked with a blunt stare as he turned to Randy.

"They'll probably send someone to investigate their comrade's disappearance . . ." Ted further mused as he brought a hand to his chin.

"They won't," Randy said with a strong shake of his head. "The guy I killed already told his pals that I was the one that accompanied Amanda out on her run. I don't think it'll take them long to put two and two together if you ask me."

"At least we know that they know that you're a part of Amanda's protection detail," Cody said rather sarcastically as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Who knows how long it'll be before they retaliate, well, if they retaliate at all?"

"I wouldn't really put much thought into it Ted," Randy said with a small smirk on his face. "According to what Amanda saw in the guy's memories, the members of the cell are a bit wary of the fact that I'm a part of this mission."

"However, the person the dead guy talked to over the phone with, didn't really sound so wary," Amanda butted in as she jumped back into the conversation. "The guy he talked to . . . He sounded calm, serene even . . . He sounded so at peace that it was a bit unsettling. Despite warning my stalker to make sure Randy never saw him, he sounded like it didn't matter to him at all."

"He sounds like one of those guys that don't even perceive Randy as an actual threat," Cody said with a slight hint of disbelief evident in his tone. Amanda simply shook her head in agreement. "These guys are not giving you that much credit Ran."

"I know right?" Randy asked with a shrug. "I even told Amanda here that I felt a little insulted by the comment."

"Oh yeah . . . You were real hurt over the fact that someone was undermining your abilities," Amanda said with a sigh as Kaitlyn held back a chuckle while Kelly remained quiet. "So, what do we do now? It is possible the cell will up their plans in order to get me. It won't be long before they show their hand again."

"And when they do, we'll be ready for them." Randy said with a small nod of his head.

"How can you be so certain?" Kelly asked him with narrowed eyes. "You may not know much about this mercenary cell that's after 'Manda, but apparently, they know a lot about you. I'm sure they must have a file or a dossier on you somewhere."

"Kelly does bring up a good point," Kaitlyn added as she tapped her fellow blonde on the shoulder. "The more well-known you are, the more your info is broadcasted to the public. You may have gained yourself a reputation in the mercenary business that's made you well-known Randy, but that kinda hurts you a little when you want to keep your personal details . . . you know, _personal_."

"Girls, let's get one thing straight . . ." said Ted as he let a small grin show on his face. "You guys don't know Randy like Cody and I have. Sure Randy's name is well known in the mercenary circles, but it doesn't matter. No matter how much info an enemy has on Randy, he still gets his mission done in the end, no matter what the obstacle is."

"I'll be honest. I was just as skeptical as you guys when I first started working with Randy years back." Cody said as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"You were?" Randy couldn't help but ask as he raised an eyebrow at his comrade. "What about me made you so skeptical?"

"Well, back then, you acted totally different than how you do now. I had no idea how serious you could be until you actually were sent on a mission. That first mission we worked on together . . . That was an eye opening experience that I will probably never forget," Cody told him with a slightly startled look on his face. "But then, over the years, _things_ happened, and well, you know . . ."

"Know what?" Amanda asked as she turned to see Randy with a slightly dark look on his face. "I'm guessing whatever happened all those years ago pretty much resulted in a bit of a personality change in Randy right?"

"Uh . . . you can say that," Ted said with a shrug as Randy walked out of the room. Amanda quickly walked right after him. "Uh . . . I don't think going after him is such a good idea."

"He's supposed to protect her isn't he?" Kaitlyn asked as a smirk showed on her face. "So I don't think it should be a problem for him to keep her in his sights during the duration of this mission right?"

"Huh . . . You make a good point there." Ted said with a shrug as he looked at the entryway that the two disappeared through. As the four remained in the kitchen, Amanda followed Randy onto the porch, where she found him sitting on the seat furthest away from the door, still with a dark look on his face.

"You followed me out here . . ." Randy said in a dull voice as he looked out into the street. "Why?"

"I came out here to make sure you were okay . . ." Amanda told him simply as she leaned against the doorframe. "It would be no good for me to see that one of my protectors is unable to do his duties because of some bad memories impeding his work."

"Well, I'm not going to let that happen," Randy told her bluntly as he turned to her. "Don't worry. I'll do my job. No bad memories of mine will stop me from completing my mission."

"Good to know . . ." Amanda said with a smirk as a buzzing noise began to echo out from her pocket. She reached into her right pocket and pulled out her phone, her eyebrows furrowing when she looked at the screen. "Huh . . . I don't recognize this number."

"Is there a name?" Randy asked as he got out of his chair.

"No . . . All it says is 'Private Number'," Amanda told him as she decided to answer the call. She then activated the speakerphone function so that everyone could hear it, just in case the voice was someone that garnered suspicion. "Hello?"

"Hello Amanda, I was hoping you would answer my call," said an eerily deep voice as it echoed out of the phone. It didn't sound natural, which made Randy and Amanda conclude that the caller was masking his voice. "I hope the tracker didn't cause you that much trouble on your jog this morning."

"Oh no, on the contrary, your tracker wasn't that much of a problem at all," Amanda calmly stated as Randy walked over to her side. "Although, he did have to leave his job early, _real_ early. I'm sorry, but you shouldn't expect him back at work any time soon."

"I understand. The lackey made a mistake by getting himself noticed by you and your . . . _protector_," the man said with a small chuckle. By that time, Cody, Ted, Kaitlyn, and Kelly had all joined them on the porch, mostly because Cody and Ted heard them easily with their enhanced hearing. "It's not hard for me to imagine that Randy killed him to make sure he stayed quiet. It wouldn't surprise me if he was there beside you listening to our conversation right now. Then again, you did put me on speakerphone."

"You sound a little full of yourself, you know that right?" Randy couldn't help but ask as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"No . . . I just sound confident, that's all," the voice said as he let out a sinister laugh. "You and your two pals may have been assigned to protect Ms. Evans, but not even you three will be enough to stop us. You will fail, we will win, and Ms. Evans will be brought to our client whether you like it or not."

"Who is your client?" Amanda asked in a low tone, her voice void of any emotion as she tightened her hold on her phone. "Who is he and what does he want with me?"

"Only he knows that one sweetheart. My crew and I aren't privy to that information. All we've been assigned to do is to ensure your capture," said the man on the other side of the line as his voice went all serious. "Don't think for a second that your protection detail will maintain yours and your friends' safety Ms. Evans. It's just a matter of time before we come to collect you. Don't bother trying to track this number. It'll just lead you to a dead end . . . Sweet dreams Amanda. We will be seeing each other real soon."

After the man said his last comment, the line went dead. Amanda quickly pocketed her phone and looked up to see her roommates' eyes on her. When she looked at the three vampires, she saw that Cody and Ted's eyes were squarely set on Randy, who looked deep in thought already.

"Okay . . . What's the plan?" Kaitlyn asked, her voice finally breaking the sudden silence that had befallen the group. "You guys do have a plan right?"

"We have a plan . . . I think," said Cody as he turned back to Randy. "We have a plan . . . Right Randy?"

"We'll come up with one, but for now, the three of us will take turns being lookout tonight. I'm not taking any chances that they could have a second lookout somewhere in this neighborhood," Randy said with a shake of his head. "Cody, you take first watch, I'll take second, and Ted will follow after me."

"Oh good . . . You guys can take watch while us girls worry in our boots about a possible threat coming to our doorstep," Kelly said rather sarcastically as she walked back into the house. "I'm so going to get a peaceful rest tonight, that's for sure."

"Must you sound so negative Kelly?" Kaitlyn asked with a smirk as she followed after her. "Have some faith in the boys!"

"Yeah!" Ted further added as he followed after them. "Have some faith in us!"

"I don't blame Kelly for feeling this way," Cody said with a shrug as he walked down the steps. "I understand her pessimistic attitude."

"Well, you do have a habit of being pessimistic yourself," said Randy as he couldn't help but have a small smirk show on his face. Cody shot him a narrowed eyed look in return. "Don't look at me like that. You have lookout duty right now, so go do your job!"

"Yes sir!" Cody replied with a mock military salute before disappearing down the block. Once Cody was finally out of view, Randy turned around to see Amanda looking at him with a wary look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Randy asked her with an eyebrow raised. "You're not worried that my pals and I won't protect you, are you?"

"That's not what I'm worried about," Amanda told him quickly as the two walked back into the house. "I'm just wondering what the enemies' client may possibly be like. You heard the guy on the phone Randy. Not even they know the real reason as to why their client wants me out of all people. Who knows what his endgame may be?"

"Yeah . . . I see why that would be unsettling," Randy said with a small nod of his head. "But don't you worry your pretty little head about it. They won't get anywhere near you or your friends. You have my word."

"Good, cause I won't be a very happy customer if you fail to do your job," Amanda told him with a smirk as she headed up the stairs. "You, Ted, and Cody better be on your toes Randy. I have a pretty good feeling things will get more _interesting_ from here on out."

"Yeah . . ." Randy said with a nod as he turned around to look at the front door. "Unfortunately, I have that _interesting_ feeling too."

**Please review!**


	10. Danger Approaches

Chapter 10: Danger Approaches

"I just got a text from Cody," said Ted as he walked into the living room, his eyes paying more attention to his phone than anything else that was around him. "He hasn't seen any strange activity during his rounds so far, but he'll still keep a look out for anything that may come up."

"Good . . ." said Randy as he continued to look out the living room window. "Text him back. Tell him he can come back in within the next half hour . . . Hopefully, nothing out of the ordinary appears tonight. The voice over the phone was enough for one day."

"You can say that again," Ted said in complete agreement as he dropped himself onto the couch like he was a sack of old potatoes. "The guy on the phone . . . he sounded like one big son of a bitch don't you think? He didn't sound fazed at all . . . 'Confident' my ass . . ."

"I can't help but agree with you on that one Ted," Randy said as he brushed a hand along his recently shaven scalp. "No one can sound that confident unless they have something planned. We just need to figure out what it is."

"And how long we'll have until they put their plan into action, well, unless they've put it into action already . . ."

At the sudden sound of Amanda's voice, the two vampires turned their heads to see the tall, curly haired female standing in the middle of the doorway. She was dressed in a red St. Louis Cardinals jersey and black basketball shorts and had a sleepy expression on her face, but her eyes still looked very aware of her surroundings as she stepped into the room.

"Shouldn't you be getting some sleep Ms. Model?" Ted asked with a smirk as Amanda walked over to the couch and sat right next to him. "It's important for someone like you to get your beauty rest right? Got to keep those model looks of yours at tip top shape and all . . ."

"That's true, but how can I rest when I know that someone out there is after me?" Amanda mumbled as a small yawn escaped past her lips. "Besides, I don't think I'm going to get a good night's sleep tonight anyway . . ."

"I could tell from hearing you restlessly move about on your bed and mumbling in your sleep upstairs," Randy chided as he looked at her with the smallest of smirks on his face. "You're definitely getting worried, aren't you?"

"I'm not getting worried . . . I'm getting a little unsettled, that's all," Amanda mumbled as she got back up on her feet. "Dammit I need a drink. Do you guys want anything from the kitchen?"

"I'm up for some coffee if you're willing to make it for me!" Ted said with a smirk as he followed her out the room. While the two made their way to the kitchen, Randy began to make his way to the foyer to wait for Cody, who should be arriving soon. However, he couldn't focus so much on his impending turn on watch duty due to the sudden tense feeling he was getting in the pit of his stomach, as if some impending danger was coming toward him, hard and fast.

"I seriously don't like this feeling I'm getting right now . . ." Randy mumbled as he leaned against the wall.

"Is something wrong Ran?" Ted asked as he quickly jogged into the foyer, his face slightly on high alert. "I heard you mumbling, and you look a little . . . _troubled _right now. Care to explain?"

"I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen sooner than we originally thought," Randy answered him with a shake of his head. "I just can't shake it . . . I just have this hunch that something's going to happen, and it's going to happen tonight."

"That's not good," Ted begrudgingly said as Amanda walked into the foyer with a curious look on her face. "Nothing good happens when you get one of your _feelings _. . . It just means that trouble's afoot somewhere."

"You guys think something bad is going to happen tonight?" Amanda asked with an eyebrow raised. "How sure can you be of this? How are you certain?"

"We're talking about Randy here! Don't doubt him," Ted quickly said as he came to Randy's defense. "Throughout all the years I've been working with him, I've learned that once Randy gets one of his _feelings_, his feelings are usually right."

"Alright, I guess I'll just have to take your word for it," Amanda said with a reluctant shrug. "So, how worried should I be?"

"If I had to rate it on a scale from 1 to 10, I'd rate it as a 7.5, maybe an 8," Randy said as a thoughtful look came across his face. Ted looked at his partner with a wide eyed stare while a blank expression crossed Amanda's features. "What? Why are you guys looking at me like that?"

"I'm pretty shocked, that's all," Ted quickly explained himself as he put his hands in his pockets. "Usually when you get one of your bad feelings, and then rate the incoming threat, you usually rate it low. This is the first time I've ever heard you rate a threat higher than a five. Is your feeling really that bad?"

"You have no idea. Anyway, contact Cody again and warn him that something may happen tonight," Randy ordered as he turned his attention to Amanda, her face still blank as her eyes stared aimlessly at the door. "Amanda, are . . . are you okay?"

"Something's coming . . ." Amanda answered him, her voice low and ominous as her eyes blinked back into focus. "It's quite a threat all right. It's big and powerful and it's going to get here soon in a matter of moments. I just don't know what the threat is exactly . . ."

"How can you tell?" Ted asked her quickly, but silenced himself just as quick as soon as Randy turned his eyes on him.

"It doesn't matter. We know something is coming and we got to prepare for it," Randy told him with a stern expression on his face. "Did you contact Cody like I told you to?"

"I sent him another text, but he hasn't answered back yet, which is weird, since he's the kind of guy that immediately answers a text once he gets it, no matter what kind of message it is," Ted said with a lightly concerned look on his face. "You think he's in trouble?"

"You're about to find out. I can sense him coming up the walkway right now." Amanda told him as her tone remained low. Slightly startled by the model's words, Randy hesitated before moving to the door, just as the doorbell began to ring. He quickly opened the door, his eyes widening in disbelief as he took in his friend's now disheveled appearance before squaring in on the man's limp right arm.

"Don't worry! It's not that bad," Cody said with a sigh in his futile attempt to save face. "It's just dislocated, really dislocated."

"What happened?" Ted asked as the faint foreign scent that surrounded Cody began to waft through the small room. When it hit Ted and Randy's noses, the two vampires visibly cringed at the scent, both of them very familiar with the scent's source. "Oh no . . . He's back . . ."

"Who's back?" Amanda asked immediately as she looked at all three of them in concern. "Who are you guys talking about, because it sounds to me like you three are familiar with whoever, or whatever, it is that attacked Cody."

"Yeah . . . We're quite familiar with him alright," Ted explained with a disgruntled look on his face. "The thing that attacked Cody is a person. A person that's actually a fellow mercenary that works for the same organization we work for . . . Brock Lesnar."

"Okay, okay. So he works with you guys, but why would one of your coworkers attack Cody all of a sudden?" Amanda asked as a sleepy-eyed Kaitlyn walked into the room. "Did you guys seriously piss him off or something?"

"Who pissed who off?" Kaitlyn slurred out as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. When she finally brought her vision back into focus, her gaze went squarely to Cody, who was currently busying himself with trying to pop his right arm back into its socket. "Cody, did you piss off someone so much that they decided to take your arm out its socket?"

"No; Technically, I'm the innocent victim in this little fiasco. Chalk it up to my association with Randy here for the popped out arm," Cody quickly replied as he struggled to put his arm back into place, his face contorting into sheer pain as he did so. "Okay . . . I think it's more than just a simple dislocated shoulder. Every time I try to push it back in, the pain flares up tenfold."

"Maybe another bone is broken and you just haven't noticed it till now," Kaitlyn suggested as she grabbed Cody by his uninjured arm. "C'mon, let's go to Kelly. She'll fix you right up."

"And how exactly is Kelly going to fix him right up?" Ted asked; curiosity evident in his tone as he watched the two. Unfortunately, Kaitlyn and Cody paid him no mind, exiting the room without another word uttered his way. "Damn, in that moment, I just felt so forgotten. . ."

"You can feel bad about yourself later," Amanda said in a slightly exasperated tone as she shot Ted a disapproving look before turning to the silent Viper. "What I want to know is why this Brock Lesnar person is coming here all of a sudden! Cody mentioned that it was his connection to you that led to the attack, so that would mean you're a focal point in this little mystery Randy. Care to enlighten me?"

"It's actually not that big of a mystery. To be honest, I know exactly why Lesnar is coming here," Randy calmly stated as he looked the woman in the eye. "A few nights ago, I took on the mission of killing Lesnar's advocate, a guy named Paul Heyman. I guess he found out and now wants revenge."

"Let me get this straight: A very serious threat is coming to my doorstep, not to capture me, but to get revenge on you because you took on an assignment that led you to kill the threat's advocate. An assignment that I'm guessing was sanctioned by your bosses correct?" Amanda replied with narrowed eyes as she stared the 6'5 man down. Randy simply shook his head yes in response. "Does this kind of stuff happen every day to you guys? And why the hell would he have his own personal advocate in the first place?"

"To answer your first question: Not really. To answer your second question: No one knows why Lesnar got himself an advocate. Hell, no one has any idea how those two met in the first place . . ." said Ted as he managed the simplest of shrugs. "And by the way, here's the kicker, the assignment to kill Heyman was entirely optional, so Randy didn't really have to take on the mission at all."

"Thank you Ted, I'm sure Amanda here liked hearing that little piece of info," Randy replied through gritted teeth. When he turned his head, he saw that Amanda was looking at him with an eyebrow raised. "What? I knew the mission was optional, but no one was going to take it and Heyman was screwing the organization over by swindling funding and shit. The bosses wanted Heyman dead and I never liked the guy in the first place, so I figured why not?"

"Okay, I think I've heard enough for now," said Amanda as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "So, how long until this Lesnar guy gets to my doorstep exactly?"

"We're going to have to ask Cody that question, but he's upstairs with Kaitlyn getting checked out by Kelly," Ted said with a slightly confused look on his face. "How exactly is Kelly going to fix him up anyway? Is she some kind of healer or something?"

"Something like that. Follow me if you want to find out."

Ted and Randy looked at each other with slightly perplexed expressions on their faces before Ted moved to follow after the psychic model up the stairs. Randy shot the front door one more lingering look before following the two up to the second floor. When they reached Kelly's room, the two vampires' eyes went straight to the sight displayed to them on Kelly's bed. While Kaitlyn leaned against one of the nearby walls, Cody and Kelly sat side-by-side on the queen sized mattress. A look of relief was displayed on the mustachioed vampire while a look of concentration was displayed on the blonde yoga teacher, her right hand emitting a faint light blue glow barely a half inch above his injured shoulder.

"Just give me five more minutes. You should be just fine once I'm done with you." Kelly said in a serious tone of voice as she continued to focus on her work.

"How bad was the injury?" Amanda couldn't help but ask as she went over to stand next to the silent Kaitlyn.

"There were some significant bone splintering in his arm and shoulder, as well as a few cracks and fractures within the shoulder bones. You basically made the injury worse when you tried to shove your arm right back in to its socket," Kelly calmly explained, addressing the last part to the sheepish looking Cody. "Even if you had let your natural vampire healing ability do its thing, it would have never healed right and you would have lived the rest of your existence with a bad shoulder and never ending pain in your arm."

"Well, it's a good thing I won't, thanks to you," Cody said rather gratefully as he looked at Kelly's glowing hand. "I hope you don't mind me asking this, but what exactly are you? I know Kaitlyn can manipulate lightning and Amanda's psychic, but we never got around to knowing what species you are Kelly."

"Huh, Cody does make a good point there," Ted added as he leaned against the doorframe. "Care to elaborate on your background Missy?"

"I'll elaborate on my background when the time calls for it. For now, all you need to know is that I can heal people and that's that," Kelly said with a small smirk as her hand returned to a more natural coloring. "There, you're completely healed. How do you feel?"

"Better, a lot better. Thanks," said Cody as he tested out his arm. "I'm back in working condition again."

"Good," said Randy as he stepped forward. "You can start getting back to business by telling us how long we have before Lesnar shows up."

"I wouldn't worry about him too much at the moment," said Cody as he let a small smirk show on his face. "Let's just say I put him on a _different_ path."

"A _different_ path?" Ted said as a knowing smirk appeared on his face. "So, you pulled a little _illusion_ on him huh?"

"Illusion?" Amanda asked as she turned back to Cody. "You have a psychic ability?"

"Yeah, but it's not really much. You probably would be able to dispel it in an instant as soon as I tried to use it on you," Cody explained as he stood up. "I have this ability to plant an illusion, or more simply, to manipulate a person's mind into believing something that's not actually there. However, how well it works depends on how _able_ the person's mind is, so to speak."

"What, like the dumber the person is, the better your ability will work?" Kaitlyn bluntly asked as she stared the mustached man down.

"Exactly, and lucky for me, Brock Lesnar is as dumb as a bag of rocks," Cody said with the barest hint of a chuckle. "He probably made it halfway across town before realizing I tricked him."

"And knowing his speed and temper, it won't be long before he makes his way back here," Randy said as he walked over to the door. "Cody, where exactly did you encounter Brock?"

"I was walking by this plot of land, you know, the kind of plot you see before a construction project happens over it, when Lesnar got the jump on me," said Cody as he scratched the back of his neck. "It's about eight blocks down the road, right next to a reddish-brown two story home that's up for sale."

"I know the area that you're talking about," Amanda butted in as she brought a hand to her chin. "A two story colonial used to be on that plot before it was mysteriously burned down two years ago. Luckily, the house was up for sale when it happened. However, the family that lived in the reddish-down house next door decided to move out because they didn't like the feeling they were getting from that plot. The realtor in charge of it hasn't been able to sell that house since . . . What are you planning Randy?"

"Well, I'm planning to meet Lesnar at that plot of land," Randy told her with a smirk before turning to his two shocked partners. "Watch the girls while I'm gone."

"Are you fucking kidding me Randy!?" Ted asked in disbelief, his eyes wide in astonishment. "You're going to take on Lesnar by yourself? Are you sure that's really the best idea?"

"Ted does make a good point," Cody said with a grimace. "You're powerful. I'll give you that, but do you really think it's a wise decision to seek out Lesnar by yourself? Brock's known as the 'Beast Incarnate' for a reason. He crushes guys without batting an eyelash. Plus, he knows how to do a mean Kimura Lock. What I'm saying is . . . Are you really sure about this Ran?"

"I'm sure. Besides, if I don't go to confront him, he'll follow your scent back here and then we would have to deal with him while protecting the girls at the same time. With me going in alone, we're limiting the damage. Trust me, I'll have everything under control, and be back before the night's over." said Randy with a smirk before stepping out the room.

"Is that man serious?" Kelly asked bluntly as Ted and Cody just shook their heads. "Is that man actually serious? From what you guys have already said, its sounds like this Brock Lesnar person is someone that really shouldn't be taken lightly. Are you guys really going to let him go alone?"

"We have no choice. Someone has to stay with you guys so that the enemy cell can't get close to you," Ted said with a shrug. "Besides, between all three of us, Randy does have the best odds of handling Lesnar anyway."

"All we can do now is trust that he'll keep his word and be back by morning. To be honest, we live with these kinds of situations every day, so it's really nothing new to us." said Cody as he walked out the room.

"Get some sleep girls. I'm sure Randy will be just fine . . . Well, I hope so." Ted said with a smirk before following after Cody, leaving the three women to themselves in Kelly's room.

"Oh . . . You just got to love men these days," Kaitlyn said with a shake of her head, her voice filled with exasperation while Kelly looked on with a bit of bitterness in her eyes. "Anyway, Kelly, you said your piece already, so I'll just move on to Amanda. What do you think girl? Do you think it's really the best idea that Randy is doing this alone?"

"Well . . . It was definitely a bit startling to hear that Randy wanted to take on this Brock guy alone," Amanda said as a small smirk started to appear on her face. "However, I have a pretty good feeling that Randy will make out of this just fine. I don't know why, but I just do."

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	11. The Viper vs The Beast Incarnate

Chapter 11: The Viper vs. The Beast Incarnate

Randy stepped out of the house and into the cool night air with his head held high. He took in a deep breath, taking in various scents that wafted through the air as he made his way down the walkway. He locked in on the particular scent he was looking for and began to follow it toward the place Cody was jumped at, eight blocks down the street. . .

. . . And judging from how strong the scent was as soon as he walked out the house, Randy concluded that Lesnar figured out his friend's illusion a little more quickly than he anticipated.

"So there are some brains in the skull of the Beast Incarnate after all . . ." mumbled Randy as he stepped onto the sidewalk. "It's not going to serve him well once I'm through with him though."

Randy quickly surveyed the block, taking care to make sure that no one was around to see anything, before utilizing his enhanced speed and taking off down the street. Not even a minute passed before the vampire arrived at the old plot of land beside the reddish brown home with the large red and white 'For Sale' sign on its front lawn. Randy sniffed the air, his face grimacing as he took in the strong scent in the air.

"Yep; the stench is definitely stronger around here," mumbled the Viper as he looked at the old wooden walls that surrounded the plot. Randy began to walk along the wall that was adjacent to the sidewalk before turning on to the intersecting street, and that's when he saw the large, jagged hole in the middle of the intersecting wall. "Should have figured Brock wouldn't be too discreet in this kind of situation after all. . ."

Randy shook his head before walking over to the wall, where he instantly noticed that Brock's scent was at its strongest just before the hole itself, as if he decided to wait for him there before going in ahead of him.

"He wants me to come to him . . ." mumbled Randy as he reached the hole. "That cocky bastard. It's as if he really thinks he has a good chance at beating me."

"Am I wrong though?" called a deep voice from somewhere from within the walls. "I have a long track record of beating my enemies without breaking a sweat. Do you really think you're any different?"

"Oh, I am different Brock," Randy simply stated as he leaned against the wall. "And as for your track record, I suggest you brace yourself for some bad news, because tonight, I'm going to break that record of yours."

"We'll see about that!" Brock quickly responded, a hint of anger apparent in his tone. "So, are you just going to stand out there all night, or are you going to wait until I drag you in here myself?"

"_I'd like to see you try . . ."_ Randy thought to himself as he shook his head. Instead of waiting for the other man to actually come after him, Randy took the initiative and finally stepped through the hole. He walked a couple of feet onto the dirt-covered premises before stopping, his ice blue eyes scanning the area until he spotted the man that he was looking for standing in the shadow of the far corner on his right. "Here I am Brock. You didn't have to drag me in here after all. . ."

"You saved me the time. . ." said Brock as he stepped into the moonlight. Despite seeing Brock plenty of times before at work, Randy couldn't help but still be impressed at how imposing and intimidating the other man look. At 6'3, Brock was only two inches shorter than Randy, but his slight height disadvantage was made up for in the massive amounts of muscle that he had built up over the years. "I'm sure you know why I am here."

"A certain thing comes to mind," said the Viper as he brought a hand to his chin. "I thought you were still on a mission in Minnesota. You were tasked with taking out a group of, of . . . what were you tasked with taking out again? I don't remember . . ."

"Ogres . . . And unfortunately, they didn't put up much of a fight. The mission ended up being much shorter than I had anticipated," said Brock as he began to crack the knuckles on his right hand. "It was really frustrating, taking them down. I expected more from them . . . Hopefully, you end up putting up a much better fight Randy. With your kind of reputation, you have to."

"Hmm . . . How long did it take for you to find out?"

"How long did it take for me to find out that you were the asshole behind Heyman's murder? Not long actually . . ." said Brock as he began to slowly pace back and forth. "I found out the very day I came back to the office after my mission. I found out the truth about Heyman from the first person I ran into when I stepped through the doors . . . As soon as Maddox saw me, he was squealing his guts out like a little baby."

"I should have known that Maddox would be the one to tell you what happened. That guy could almost never keep his mouth shut, unless you paid him . . ." grumbled Randy as he shook his head. "You said that you found out the 'truth about Heyman' from Maddox? When you say that, do you mean the truth about who killed him, or the reason why he was slated to die in the first place?"

"Huh . . . I never took you for one that asked so many questions Randy." Brock said with a chuckle.

"And I never took you for someone so . . . articulate," Randy retorted as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Usually, you'd stay silent every chance you get while Heyman acted as your spokesperson."

"It was easier that way, and besides, I'm an 'action speaks louder than words' kind of guy," said Brock as he simply shrugged. "And as for your earlier question. Yeah, I knew all about Heyman's backhand dealings. The money embezzlement, the lies . . . of course I knew all about it. Hell, I actually helped Heyman with some of it."

"Should have figured . . . You two were always thick as thieves, so it shouldn't be a surprise that you helped Heyman out in his endeavors," said Randy as he leaned down and pulled a slim silver knife with a black hilt from the inside of his right boot. "Alright Lesnar, let's get this clear. Yes, I killed Heyman for the stuff he did against the organization. He was marked for death, you're not. So, on this rare occasion, I'm giving you the chance to leave here peacefully, and I suggest you take it."

"You're giving me the chance to walk away, and just, forget that you were the one that killed Heyman? You're giving me the chance to leave with my life," said Brock as he let out a dark chuckle. "That's nice of you Orton. Real nice . . . But sorry, I'm not leaving, not until I plant you in the fucking ground!"

"Hmm . . . Suit yourself. I gave you this one chance to leave, and you totally blew it," said Randy as he shook his head, his knife looking deadly in the moonlight. "Trust me; you're not getting another one."

"That's fair. I wasn't planning to be merciful with you either!" exclaimed Lesnar, his tone biting as he clenched his fists together. He then started to charge at the taller male, his eyes filled with sudden hatred as he bore down on Randy. Randy stayed right at his position, keeping perfectly still as the Beast Incarnate moved to attack him. The Viper never moved until he Lesnar was in reaching distance, swiftly sidestepping the bulkier man while swinging his knife-wielding hand toward him.

His knife hit his target. Brock let out a sharp yell before skidding to a sudden stop. When he turned around to face Randy, he revealed a long, bloody gash that stretched across his face from the bridge of his nose to the lower part of his left ear.

"Huh . . . I was gunning for your left eye." Randy couldn't help but gloat as he flicked the blood off of his knife.

"Lucky shot, but you're not getting another one!" Lesnar exclaimed as blood continued to poor from his wound.

"Are you sure you want try again Brock? You got a little something on your face. You may want to tend to the little cut on your face first before you try your luck again," Randy further teased. "C'mon Brock, charging me head on is your way to go? How basic can you be?"

"It's worked for me plenty of times before, and it's going to work for me now!" yelled Brock before charging once again. Randy readied his blade, and sidestepped once again, barely missing being caught by Lesnar's side sweeping arms in the process.

For the next few minutes, Randy dodged Lesnar like a matador avoiding a raging bull. As soon as Brock got close enough to grab Randy, he would quickly move out the way, displaying speed and agility that was impressive for someone of his size. He would also call out Lesnar as he dodged, taunting and mocking him as he went with cold, malicious statements that infuriated the Beast Incarnate every time he heard them.

Most of the times Randy dodged Brock's incoming attacks, he would land a hit on the stockier man with his knife. Most of the hits hit his intended target along his arms and shoulders, but a few would occasionally land on Lesnar's face and torso as well. After only twenty minutes passed by, Randy was still squeaky clean while Brock looked like a bloody mess.

"What's wrong Brock? I thought you were better than this . . ." grumbled Randy as he shook his head. "You're known as the Beast Incarnate for a reason, and you're not showing why you earned that title to me right now."

"You're talking so tough, just because you've been landing hit after hit on me while you've remained relatively untouched. Don't you think you sound a little too cocky right now?" Brock asked as he wiped away the blood that was seeping out from a wound on his forehead.

"I'm not trying to sound cocky. I'm being serious and realistic here," Randy stated as he narrowed his eyes at the wounded man. "You're not living up to the expectations I had for you. I figured with your reputation and repertoire, you would put up a much better fight than this. Hell, my teammates were absolutely unsure about letting me come out here alone to face you because of your history alone . . . I was expecting a savage, bloodthirsty warrior coming after me, not a cat and mouse chase. Huh . . . maybe Heyman's death really is affecting you after all."

"Tch, as if that old, snake in the grass' death could ever affect me. We were close, but not that close that I would be the first one at his funeral and the one grieving the most overall over his pitiful grave," growled Lesnar as he rolled his neck. "I'm just trying to figure you out."

"Well, can you try to figure me out faster?" Randy asked as he let out a small sigh. "I'm getting bored with this fight already, and the others expect me back at the house by morning."

"Oh yes . . . You're in the middle of a mission. Brad told me about that too," said Brock as he re-cracked his knuckles. "You and your two bitches are tasked with protecting some girl that's sought after by other mercenaries or some shit. Brad even showed me her photo . . . She's quite the looker. She's even cuter than that last girl you were with. What was her name again? Pam? No . . . that wasn't it."

"I'd be careful with your next few words Brock," Randy slowly growled out, his anger starting to spike as he realized where Lesnar was starting to go with their line of conversation. "You'll be digging your own grave if you continue speaking like this."

"What's wrong with how I'm speaking?" Brock mocked as a sinister smirk came across his face. "I'm just trying to remember what your old fiancée's name was. Let's see . . . It wasn't Pam, so was it Jan? No, no, that's not it either . . . Wait a minute! Now I remember. It was Sam! Too bad the bitch kicked the bucket years back huh Ran?"

"You are a fucking asshole!" Randy whispered, his hand now suddenly wrapped around Brock's throat, the two men now inches apart. "Do you really think that I'm going to let you get away with disrespecting my fiancée's name like that?"

"Nah, but at least I got you right where I want you!" replied Brock, his mouth breaking out into a sickening grin. Randy realized one second too late what was going on, which meant that he didn't have enough time to protect his face from Brock's fist. Brock nailed the Viper right in his left cheek, the sheer force of the hit catapulting the leaner man across the lot, where he skidded to a stop right before the wall.

"I figured mentioning your dead fiancée's name would finally throw you off your game a little," taunted Brock as he shook out his right hand. "Nothing can stop a man from focusing more than someone badmouthing someone that he really loves, and in your case, that's good ol' Samantha."

Randy slowly lifted his head from the ground, a large welt already appearing right below his left eye. His eyes stared down the other man as he began to walk towards him; the only emotion within them was absolute hate.

"I figured you were going to look at me like that. It's understandable that you are feeling hatred toward me right now. I don't mind it. As long as I get to kick your ass, I don't care how you look at me," Brock further stated as he stretched out his arms. "Now then, get ready. After I'm through with you, you're not going to make it back to the others by morning."

"We'll see about that . . ." growled Randy as he slowly got into a kneeling position. Randy somehow managed to hold onto his knife during his time in the air and now clutched the hilt of it like a lifeline. He mentally counted the seconds that ticked by as Brock continued the slow walk toward him, and once he reached the number 10, he launched his knife with all his strength toward Lesnar, hoping that the weapon would hit something vital.

It did. Brock never anticipated the sudden knife-throwing, so he was totally ill-prepared to defend himself as the knife hurtled towards him. Brock barely got his hands up before he realized what happened, and when he finally did, he had a knife lodged right in his right eyeball.

"AAAHH! YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" Brock yelled with all his might, his voice possibly waking up the whole neighborhood in the process. "I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!"

"Ssshh! Keep your voice down Lesnar," said Randy as he suddenly got back on his feet, before kicking Lesnar right in his gut, sending him right down to the ground. "You've probably woke up the entire street. We're mercenaries, comrades. We got to be discreet."

"You are no fucking comrade of mine!" Brock exclaimed as he quickly got back on his feet, the knife still lodged in his eye. "I'll kill you!"

"Let's see you try," Randy taunted as he got himself into a fighting stance. Brock completely forgot about the knife in his eye as he charged at the Viper once again, but before he was even five feet near him, he suddenly stopped midstride, as if he was frozen in time. Randy quickly tensed up at this, but when he smelled a strong, familiar scent close by, he instantly relaxed. "I should have known you were close by Hunter."

"As if I could pass this up," said the older man as he walked onto the plot through the hole in the wall. "As soon as I overheard Maddox explaining everything to Lesnar, I knew he was going to seek you out. Hmm . . . Nice shot with the knife. Hitting the eye is one of the hardest things to do with a blade."

"How long have you been listening in?" Randy grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I arrived just as Brock was badmouthing you know who, and I don't blame you for how you retaliated," said Hunter as he turned to the seething Lesnar. "Like seriously Brock, you were just asking for trouble when you talked about Sam like that."

"It was well worth it though," growled Brock as he moved his eyes from Hunter to Randy. "I got one decent hit on him. That proves to me that the Viper here isn't entirely indestructible."

"You may have managed to get my cheek, but I still maimed your eye," said Randy as he looked at his handiwork. "Hunter, I think you would also love to know that Brock here knew a lot more about Heyman's _other_ _activities _than he let on."

"I would love to hear about that," said Hunter as he waved his hand in front of Brock, seemingly unfreezing the man as he finally began to move again. "Randy, get back to your mission. Brock, you're leaving with me. You need to get your eye checked out by the medic."

"Fine, but this isn't over yet Orton!" exclaimed Brock as Randy began to make his way to the exit. "Hunter may have saved your ass this time, but next time, there won't be anything left of you to save once I'm through with you!"

"We'll see about that Brock . . ." said Randy as he did a simple wave before exiting through the hole. Once he was on the sidewalk, he brought a hand to his chin, cringing when he felt the pain shoot up and down his face as soon as he pressed down on the large welt. "That stings . . . I wonder if Kelly can speed up the healing process for this."

And with that, he disappeared up the street, putting a smirking Hunter and a seething Beast Incarnate in his rearview mirror.

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	12. House Visit

Chapter 12: House Visit

"Okay everyone, how injured do you think Randy will be when he gets back here?" Kaitlyn couldn't help but ask as she looked around at each face that was gathered in the living room, their expressions a mixture of curiosity, and some concern.

"That is, _if_ he ever gets back here . . ." Kelly mumbles as she looked off into nowhere in particular. When she realized what she said, Kelly looked at Cody and Ted to see that both of their eyes were straight on her. "Sorry, that sounded harsh, didn't it. . ?"

"Only a little . . ." offered Ted as he did a simple shrug. "But it's definitely not unwarranted, I'll give you that Kelly . . . I'll be honest, I for one definitely don't think Randy will escape completely unscathed. I believe he'll be back, but I think he's going to return with at least one visible injury to his name."

"And I'll be honest: I completely agree with Ted's prediction, 100%," said Cody as he shook his head. "Yeah, I've known Randy for many years now and he's definitely a great fighter, but I've also seen what Brock can do, and he's absolutely lethal. I would be absolutely shocked, _absolutely_ _shocked_ if Randy comes back here completely unharmed."

"Alright, you both think that your friend will be injured to some degree, but do you think Randy managed to harm Lesnar in return? And if so, how badly do you think he did it?" Amanda asked as a small yawn escaped past her lips.

"I'm sure he managed to hit Brock at least once, but I'm not so sure about the damage he possibly inflicted on the guy," said Cody as he began to walk around the room. "I'm sure he managed to inflict at least one knife cut on the Beast."

"I did a lot more than just inflict one knife cut Cody . . ."

At the sound of the Viper's deep voice, everyone turned their heads to see Randy step into the middle of the doorway, looking virtually unharmed. Kelly looked visibly shocked, Kaitlyn, Cody, and Ted looked impressed, and Amanda was just staring at the Viper with an eyebrow raised, not really showing any emotion on her face, besides sleepy.

"I managed to cut Brock up pretty good actually, but most of the cuts were superficial. Those wounds will heal quickly," the Viper calmly explained as he stepped into the room. "Unlike his right eye. I don't think there'll be any saving that little organ."

"What did you do to his eye exactly?" Kelly asked with a slightly disbelieving look on her face.

"I threw my knife into it, and now that I think about it, I'll probably never get that knife back," Randy said with a shake of his head, wincing when he re-irritated the welt on his face. "Damn this welt . . . Kelly, you mind healing this for me."

"That shouldn't take me too long . . ." said Kelly as she walked over to the taller man, her hand already glowing. "So, this isn't going to be the last time you're going to tussle with this Brock guy right?"

"Didn't you just hear the man Kelly?" Kaitlyn asked with a bemused smirk on her face as Cody and Ted shared a knowing look with each other. "The man just admitted that he took out the other guy's eye. He's probably going to be partially blind for the rest of his life."

"From how you guys described this Brock Lesnar person to us already, I have a pretty good feeling that he isn't going to let this one pass. He'll be out for revenge the next time he sees your face." Amanda further added as she let out another yawn.

"He absolutely wanted to kill me after I got his eye, but Hunter stopped him before he could get to me." said Randy as Kelly finished healing his wound.

"Hunter is one of your co-workers right?" Kelly asked as she walked back to her seat.

"He's one of our bosses actually. He can be a bit of a stick in the mud, but he's a cool guy," said Ted as he noticed that Amanda was starting to nod off into sleep mode. "I would explain more right now, but not everyone is paying attention to me at this moment."

"Now that I think about it, how come none of you girls are asleep right now?" Randy couldn't help but ask. "Were you all that worried about me making it out of my bout with Lesnar arrived?"

"Well, it would be bad if you ended up kicking the bucket when you're supposed to be protecting our friend here, now wouldn't it?" Kelly asked in a challenging tone as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Plus, Ted and Cody seem to look to you for leadership. If you're gone, who's going to lead them?"

"Hurtful!" Ted exclaimed as he brought a hand to his chest, his eyes looking mildly offended at Kelly's comment. "I for one can think for myself, thank you very much!"

"If you say so . . ." mumbled Kelly as she turned to Amanda, who was now officially out cold. She walked over to the sleeping model and began to roughly shake her, waking her up in an instant. "Go to bed Ms. Sleepyhead! We're not leaving you here to sleep on the couch."

"Fine, but you didn't have to be so rude about it?" the model grumbled as Kelly pulled her up to her feet.

"What can I say? It's fun to act as your wakeup call . . ." said Kelly as she let out a small chuckle. Amanda just scowled at her before walking out of the room, not even bothering to say a word to anyone else as she left. "Aw . . . She didn't even bother to say good night before she left."

"Is she always like this when she needs to sleep?" Cody asked with an eyebrow raised.

"For the most part, yes," said Kaitlyn as she followed Kelly out the room. "Good night boys!"

"G'night!" exclaimed Ted before both the girls walked out of view. Once he heard their respective footsteps going up the stairs, he turned his attention to Randy, who was now seated on the couch. "Now then, you're not holding anything back from us, are you?"

"And what gives you that idea?" said the Viper as he turned to his old friend.

"Randy, we noticed how tense your body looked when you walked in here," said Cody as he shook his head. "That's usually the signal that you got ticked off by something that somebody said . . . Care to enlighten us?"

"It's nothing that you two need to worry about it," Randy grumbled as a stoic look came across his face. "Yeah, Brock said something that set me off, and I know you both can figure out what it was, but there's no need for us to focus on that now. What we need to focus on is protecting Amanda and her friends, and that's that."

"Hmm . . . Should've figured you were going to say that. . ." said Ted as he shook his head. "But, you're right. The girls' safety is our first priority. . . The sun isn't going to rise for a couple more hours. I'll take over lookout duty for the rest of the night."

And with that, Ted disappeared from the room and from the house, leaving Randy and Cody to watch over the girls themselves.

"You seriously don't want to talk about it? Final offer . . ." Cody offered as he turned to the older man. Randy didn't respond. Instead, he got up from his seat and walked out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen, leaving the mustachioed vampire hanging. "Hmm . . . should've figured that would happen too."

* * *

_**The next morning**_

_Buzz-buzz-buzz . . . Buzz-buzz-buzz_

"I seriously hate answering my phone in the morning . . ." Amanda grumbled with a scowl on her face, her eyelids slowly cracking open as she turned onto her side. "There should be some sort of law created to ban all phone calls before eight in the morning . . . Like, seriously . . ."

"Aren't you going to answer your phone though?"

At the sound of Randy's voice, the model slowly sat up and turned her head to see the Viper looking at her as he leaned against the doorframe, still dressed in the outfit he wore the night before.

"I thought I closed that door before I went to bed hours ago . . ." Amanda mumbled with a disgruntled look on her face.

"No, you didn't. When I walked up here earlier, your door was completely wide open," the mercenary calmly explained as he watched the woman check her phone. "So, who has been calling you all this time, because your phone has been ringing like that for the past 15 minutes now?"

"It's just my agent . . ." Amanda grumbled as she shook her head. "She's on her way here to see me. She'll be here within another 20 minutes, give or take."

"Does your agent usually make house calls like this?" asked the Viper as Amanda began to quickly make her bed, finishing within five minutes.

"Practically once a week . . . Why do you ask?" Amanda asked in return as she walked over to her dresser and picked out a quick outfit.

"I'm just trying to cover all my bases. Your agent may be coming over to talk to you, but who knows? It could be one of the mercenaries that are after you that's disguised as your agent," Randy quickly explained as the model stepped into her bathroom. "I'm just thinking of all the possibilities here . . . Anything could happen."

"Don't worry. I'll have my powers active during the entire time my agent is here, so if I see that her thoughts fall in the realm of wanting to kidnap me instead of assigning me my next set of go-sees, I'll let you know." Amanda called out before she closed the door behind her.

"Hey!" Kaitlyn exclaimed as she walked out of her room with a smile on her face, already dressed for the day. "Is everything alright Randy?"

"Everything is fine, except for the part that Amanda's agent is apparently coming over here for her weekly visit." grumbled Randy as Ted and Cody appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Do you think her agent will be trouble?" Cody couldn't help but ask as Kaitlyn began shaking her head in disbelief. "What? It's not too bad to ask."

"The only way Trish will give you any trouble is if she doesn't get her morning coffee, and now that I've said that, I better prepare a batch of coffee right now." said Kaitlyn before running past Cody and Ted and speeding down the stairs.

"Amanda has offered to check her agent's mind once she gets here for any suspicious activity. If she senses something off, she'll warn us." Randy explained as Amanda walked into view, dressed in a simple blue shirt dress that stopped at mid-thigh.

"And what should we do in the meantime?" Ted asked with a slight frown on his face. "I'm sure Amanda's agent will start to get a little suspicious if she sees three mysterious men dressed in all black are in her client's house doing who knows what!"

"Don't worry about that either. Trish never stays for long, and she has never come up here to the second floor for as long as I've known her," Amanda calmly explained as she walked over to the stairs. "All you three have to do is stay up here for the entire time she's visiting in order to avoid detection. You can come back downstairs once she leaves."

"And what should we do if, for some reason, Trish does decide to come up here to this floor hmm?" Randy asked as he let a small smirk show on his face.

"Uh . . . jump out the window?" Amanda suggested as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "You three are vampires. Jumping to the ground from this height should be a cakewalk for you guys."

"Why can't we just hide out in one of these bedrooms?" asked Cody as he gestured to the rooms around them. "That would be easier than jumping out the window, whether we're vampire or not."

"That may be true, but will any of you guys be able to resist the temptation of looking through our stuff while we're downstairs?" Amanda asked with a bemused expression on her face as she stood at the top of the steps.

"I can." Randy said bluntly.

"I'm certainly able to resist the temptation." Cody said with a strong nod of his head.

"Okay . . . I would take a look, but just a little peek." Ted reluctantly admitted, earning stern stares from both of his teammates in the process. "What? I'm curious! Sue me!"

"And with that I prove my point," said Amanda as the sounds of a loud car horn blared out from somewhere outside. "That must be Trish now. She always honks to signal her arrival . . . You guys will be fine up here for a little while right?"

"We'll be fine, and don't worry, we'll make sure that Ted here doesn't go snooping around your stuff," Randy said with a reassuring look. Amanda simply nodded her head before disappearing down the stairs, leaving just before Randy slapped Ted right in the back of his head. ". . . You have no control over yourself sometimes Ted . . ."

"At least I was honest!" said Ted as he started to scowl, his right hand going straight to the spot on his head that was smacked by the older man. "I know for sure that you won't look through the girls' stuff Randy, but Cody here is a whole different story. He's proven that he can be quite the sneaky one . . ."

"Shut the fuck up Ted. Just, shut the fuck up!" said Cody as the sounds of a new voice echoed into their eardrums. The three men turned their attention to where the floor met the stairs, their enhanced hearing allowing them to clearly hear the girls speaking downstairs. They ended up hearing four voices downstairs. Three of them belonged to Amanda, Kelly, and Kaitlyn. The fourth voice belonged to Amanda's agent Trish, her voice carrying a small hint of a Canadian accent.

"Okay, so what brings you to our lovely abode this time around huh Trish?" Amanda asked as she guided her old friend into the living room. "Your text sounded more _chipper_ than most of your usual messages. What's got you so happy about?"

"You just got one of your biggest assignments in a long time Amanda!" said Trish, her voice practically gushing with pride. "Well, it's not totally a lock yet. You still have to do an interview with the client, but if he likes you well enough, you will be seeing your face on billboards and ads from here to Europe."

"Huh . . . I haven't had a job like that in quite a while. It's actually a little unexpected, considering I'm usually relegated to runway work these days." mumbled Amanda as she let out a small chuckle.

"It may be unexpected, but it's well deserved, if you ask me. You've been in the modelling business for the past fourteen years now, and that's not an easy thing to do." Trish quickly complimented.

"I can see why," said Kelly, her voice sounding pretty impressed. "Amanda recently turned 35, and she still looks like she's in her mid-20s."

"Hold up . . ." mumbled Ted, his face looking completely shocked. "Amanda's 35? I actually thought she was somewhere in her mid-20s!"

"Well, it does seem more reasonable for a 35 year old model to own a car and a whole house than a model somewhere in her mid-20s, well, unless she's highly successful . . ." said Cody as a thoughtful look came across his face. "Now that I think about it, Amanda is actually the same age as you Randy . . ."

"So, who exactly is this "client" that's so interested in me?" Amanda asked before Randy could comment on what Cody just said. "Is this client a designer?"

"He's a businessman who works for a big conglomerate that has many branches all across the world. However, the main office is located in Bucharest, Romania," explained Trish, the mention of the conglomerate's location instantly gaining Randy's interest. "The conglomerate has its hands in many things like technology, trade, and of course, fashion. The executive that's the head of the fashion division is looking for models to work with some of the fashion houses the conglomerate sponsors, and you've been picked as one of the candidates for the job."

"That sounds great," said Amanda, her voice sounding pleased. "When's the interview?"

"Tomorrow at 10 A.M. This is a big opportunity, so I want you to focus all your energy in preparing for tomorrow," said Trish as movement could be heard from downstairs. "I got to run. I have other models to visit."

"I'll walk you out!" Kaitlyn volunteered as the sounds of feet shuffling hit the boys' eardrums. Randy quickly retreated to the back of the hallway deep in thought, quickly followed by Ted and Cody.

"You think there's some kind of connection between the Romanian cell and this conglomerate that's interested in Amanda, don't you . . ."said Cody as he looked at Randy with a knowing smirk.

"Well, it is convenient that a giant conglomerate based in Romania is interested in the girl were trying to protect from mercenaries that are from the same country," said Randy as he brought a hand to his chin. "We need more info on that conglomerate."

"I'll call the base. We should get more info in a matter of hours. . ." said Ted as he got his phone out of his pocket. As he went into one of the bedrooms to make the call, Amanda and the girls chose that moment to come onto the floor. Amanda noticeably had a thoughtful look on her face.

"Well, Trish wasn't a mercenary in disguise, but something about this new assignment doesn't sit right with me." mumbled the dark skinned woman as she shook her head.

"Can't you just refuse the assignment?" asked Cody, looking completely unsure.

"It's not that simple," Amanda explained with a grunt. "I get paid with every assignment I go on. With every job I skip, I lose money, and jobs can get pretty scarce for a model at times. I got to get paid somehow, so yeah, I'm still doing this interview tomorrow."

"Well, I hope you don't mind having a tag along, because I'm going with you," Randy suddenly said. "Don't worry, I'll stay out of the way during your interview, but I will be around . . ."

"You'll just be hiding in the shadows right?" Kelly finished as she shook her head. When Randy just smirked, the healer rolled her eyes. ". . . Of course you will."

"Do you think there's some kind of connection between this conglomerate and the Romanian mercenaries?" Kaitlyn asked as she leaned against the wall. "Who knows? The businessman that Amanda is set to be interviewed by could be a mercenary in disguise just trying to get a feel for her before he tries to capture her."

"And that's why I'm going with her," said Randy as he nodded his head. "To make sure nothing is going amiss."

"That's good to know," said Amanda as she began to head back for the stairs. ". . . Because with the threat of a mercenary cell hanging over my head, we have to definitely expect the unexpected."

**Please review!**


	13. Interview Jitters

Chapter 13: Interview Jitters

"Okay, next question. Who's your favorite superhero?"

Cody couldn't help but let a smirk show on his face as he stared at the woman seated across the table from him. The two were in the middle of a round of their own version of '20 Questions', with the theme being 'Your Favorites'. Cody saw it as an okay way to pass the time. On the other hand, Kaitlyn saw it as a great way of getting to know the mustachioed vampire better.

"Hmm, that's actually a hard question," grumbled Kaitlyn as she brought a hand to her chin. "Are we talking generally speaking, or from a specific comic book universe?"

"Generally speaking of course." said Cody as he brushed down his mustache with his thumb and forefinger.

"I can't really give you an exact answer on who is exactly my favorite superhero, because there're just too many to consider, but I can give you my favorite kind of superhero." said Kaitlyn, her face looking slightly unsure.

"Let me guess: Your favorite kind of superhero are the ones that can use lightning, just like you can. Am I right?" asked Cody as he began to twirl the right end of his mustache. His smirk grew even bigger when he noticed the look of shock appear in the elemental's eyes. "I am right, aren't I?"

"Well, your guess isn't far off the mark . . ." Kaitlyn whispered under her breath, but thanks to his enhanced hearing, Cody heard her sentence crystal clear. It was at that moment that Randy chose to make his presence known, walking into the kitchen and passing by Cody and Kaitlyn to get to the fridge. "Is Ted already outside patrolling the area?"

"Yeah, he left about ten minutes ago. Cody, you're switching with him once it's midnight." said Randy as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

"And what about you hmm?" Cody challenged as he crossed his arms over his chest. "What are you going to do while Ted and I are patrolling the neighborhood?"

"Well isn't it obvious? I'm going to look over the information HQ sent us on that conglomerate that's so interested in Amanda," Randy grumbled as he unscrewed the cap and took a swig of water into his mouth. "It's best to be a little ahead of the curve instead of going in blind you know."

"Yeah, that's true, but how ahead of the curve will you actually be if you have so little to work with to begin with?" asked Kaitlyn. "Ted told me the info you got on this Romania-based conglomerate is minimal at best."

"All we really know about the place is its name, which was only after Amanda had to call her agent back to get the place's name and address after she forgot to do so at first, and the fact it's electronics division had some contract disputes with its manufacturers a few years back," said Cody as he shook his head. "There was nothing out of the ordinary in that report. It's probably just a normal, human-run multi-million dollar group that just has its main headquarters conveniently in the same country that the group of mercenaries that're after Amanda are from."

"Hmm, there's that, I'll give you that much," Randy grumbled as he shook his head. "But I still don't like it. This conglomerate could be just a normal business venture, but it could also be a very well thought up cover for something else."

"It could be that too," said Cody as he slowly shook his head. "Honestly, it could go either way."

"Which means nothing is certain. That makes things all the more troubling," said Randy as he walked out the room. He walked down the hallway and up the stairs, and as soon as he reached the second floor, he went straight toward Amanda's room. When he got there, he saw the psychic sitting on her bed talking to Kelly. "I thought you would be asleep by now."

"We were just finishing up our conversation actually," Amanda calmly explained to him as Kelly got up from her seat. The Viper moved out of the way to let the healer pass, his eyes following her until she reached her room. Once she was out of sight, Randy turned his attention back on the psychic, his eyes going straight to the piece of paper that she held in her hand. "What's on the paper?"

"Just the name and address of the conglomerate; you know, for my interview tomorrow." said Amanda as she continued to look at the small piece of paper.

"You don't look too eager about this interview you have to do," said Randy, quickly taking note of how unnerved the psychic looked. "Is there something on your mind?"

"There's many ways that this interview can go bad for me Randy," said the psychic as she slowly shook her head. "On the normal bad end of the spectrum, I could totally bomb my interview. But on the other, more supernatural, end, the mercenaries could be waiting for the right chance to snatch me, whether at the building or along the way. . . There's too many things that are uncertain here Randy, and I don't like it."

"You're not the only one," the vampire said in quick agreement as he took a step into the room, his nose instantly catching a whiff of Amanda's citrus-like scent. "I don't like it when there's a lot of uncertainty in the air either . . . But I can tell you one thing that's for certain."

"And what would that be hmm?" Amanda asked with a small hint of curiosity in her tone. "That since it's your mission to protect me, you're going to do whatever you can in order to make it successful?"

"Well, there is that," said the Viper as he slowly walked over to her bedside. "But what I was actually planning to say was that you're going to ace your interview, regardless of what happens tomorrow."

"Oh really?" asked Amanda, her voice now challenging. "And what makes you sure of that, huh Mr.? You barely know me enough to judge my character."

"Actually, I think I know enough from what I've observed of you already," said Randy, the barest hint of a smirk starting to show on his face. "And from what I've seen so far, I can safely say that you don't have the kind of character that tells me that you're a naturally shy person."

"When you're in the modelling business, being shy doesn't really help much," said the psychic as she quickly slid herself under the sheets. "It's something that can hurt you. I may have been modelling for a long time, but even I'll have my moments, especially when I'm faced with very big clients like the one I'll be meeting with tomorrow."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine. You're just psyching yourself out, pun intended," Randy said with a shrug as he started making his way back out the room. "Just stay focus on the task at hand, and you'll do just fine. Works for me every time."

"Thanks Randy. You're vote of confidence is very uplifting." said Amanda, her voice laced with sarcasm as she let her head fall back on her pillow. "Good night."

"G'night," said the Viper as he reached the doorway, but he stopped himself just as he had one foot out the door. "I'm sorry, but can I ask you one quick question before you go to sleep?"

"Sure, ask away." Amanda answered, as she waved a hand in the air.

"How long exactly have you been in the modeling business exactly?" asked Randy, a deep breath escaping past his lips. "When I heard Kelly say that you recently turned 35 earlier, I'll be honest, I didn't believe it at first."

"Yeah, I know. I turned 35 at the end of May. I've had people tell me that I look young for my age. I've even heard fellow models tell me to my face that they wish that they'll still look as young as they do now once they reach their mid-30s," replied the psychic, even letting out a chuckle as she looked back on the memory. "Since I've answered your question, do you mind answering one of my own?"

"Fire away . . ."

"How old are you?" the woman asked with a glint in her eye. "Are you at a reasonable human-like age, or are you, like, way up in the hundreds or something like that?"

"I'm in the human age range," said Randy as he leaned against the doorframe. "I'm 35; I'm the same age as you. Actually, to tell you the truth, some people of my kind believe that vampires younger than 100 are basically the toddlers of the species."

"And I'm guessing the ones that hold that belief considers themselves the old people of your kind? The ones that have existed for close to or many millennia, right?" Amanda asked, smirking when she saw the amused look on the usually stoic man's face. "I'll take the look on your face as a yes. Now then, can I ask you a second question?"

"I think you have asked enough questions for one night. You need to get some sleep if you want to perform at your best tomorrow," said the Viper as he took hold of the doorknob and started to close the door behind him. "G'night Amanda."

"Night!" Amanda quickly replied back before the door was closed shut, leaving the woman alone with the darkness and her still-active thoughts.

_**The next morning**_

"Are you okay? You have been very quiet this morning." Randy quietly asked as he and Amanda got settled in her Camaro, him in the front passenger seat and her at the wheel. The psychic had yet to speak a single word that morning, choosing to do her morning routine in utter silence, which made both her roommates and the vampires quite uneasy.

Amanda simply nodded her head before putting on her seatbelt. She quickly put the key into the ignition and revved up the engine before pulling out the driveway, waving at her friends and their security detail as she did, and driving down the street.

"I would have appreciated a verbal answer instead of a shake of your head Amanda," said Randy, his arms folded tightly over his chest as he eyed the girl beside him. "Are you actually going to be like this for the whole day? I don't think your interviewer will appreciate the idea of talking to a model that suddenly has gone mute."

"I'm sorry if you feel like I'm giving you the cold shoulder," said Amanda as she turned the car onto an intersecting street. "I'm not usually this silent. This only happens when I get the feeling that something _major_ is going to soon happen."

"Major?" Randy asked, slightly confused by the woman's choice of words. "What do you mean by that? Is something good or something bad supposed to happen? Is that it?"

"To be honest, it can go either way. I have no way of telling which way it's going to go." Amanda said with a shake of her head, her curls bouncing with each movement.

"Great . . ." grumbled the Viper before looking out his window. "How long will it take for us to get to the address?"

"About a half hour, give or take," said the psychic. "So, if you want, we could either have a nice conversation with each other, or you can do your job and look out the window to see if anyone suspicious is following us. Take your pick."

"Well, aren't you just bossy," Randy grumbled as he kissed his teeth in slight irritation. "And for your information, I am doing my job."

"Looks to me like you're just getting a free ride, freeloader," said Amanda as a small smirk appeared on her face. Randy wore a deep scowl in return. "Oh calm down. I'm only joking with you. You know, trying to light up the mood here? You don't have to be so serious all the time. It's good to take a joke every once in a while."

"When I'm on the clock, I don't do jokes." was all Randy said as he looked out the window.

"However, if last night was any indication, you do puns. . ." Amanda mumbled under her breath as she drove the car up a ramp that led to the highway. Randy was about to comment on that, but stopped himself when his eyes spotted the reflection in the rearview mirror. When Amanda noticed the look on his face, she grew curious. "Is there something wrong?"

"The black SUV behind the red truck that's right behind us," mumbled Randy as he narrowed his eyes at the reflection. "I think it's tailing us."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not entirely certain," mumbled the vampire as he turned to her. "However, the lack of license plates and the very tinted windows does raise one's suspicions don't you think?"

"It does," mumbled Amanda as she scrunched her eyebrows together. "You know what? I have an idea. Do you mind taking the wheel for a few seconds?"

"Why?" Randy suddenly asked as he looked at her in disbelief. "What are you planning to do?"

"Well, I'm going to check to see who exactly is driving that black SUV. And by checking, I mean telepathically invading their minds to see if the passengers are bad or not," said Amanda with a smile. "And all I need you to do is keep the wheel steady while I do that."

"Alright," mumbled Randy as he placed a hand on the wheel. "But make it quick."

"Just give me ten seconds. A quick glimpse is all I need." said Amanda as she completely relinquished the wheel to his control. Randy shook his head before turning his eyes back onto the road. While the Viper manned the wheel, Amanda took in a deep breath as she cleared her mind. As she did so, her face began to appear more distant. Randy couldn't help but watch her from the corner of his eyes, his eyes showing both interest, as well as the faintest hint of concern, as he continued to watch her. He did this in between the quick peeks he would take at the rearview mirror, just to see if the black SUV was still there.

It was.

"I thought she said it would only take ten seconds . . ." grumbled the Viper as he noticed that they were getting closer to the city's downtown area. "She should be done already."

"Don't worry. I am," Amanda instantly answered back, her face looking discouraged as she blinked her vision back into focus. "And unfortunately, I didn't discover much."

"What do you mean" asked Randy as he let the woman retake the wheel. "What happened?"

"Mental barrier. That's what happened . . ." the woman grumbled as she drove the car onto the outermost lane. "There's three men in the black SUV, but all of them have some form of a mental shield shrouding their minds. The shields are tough, absolute high quality. I couldn't get through it to see what was in their heads."

"It must be those Romanians then. They've decided to send a tracking party after us," grumbled Randy as Amanda turned the car on to the exit. "They'll probably follow us all the way to the address."

"Do you want me to try to lose them? We still have a good amount of time on our hands before my interview. We can try to give them the slip."

"If we try that, then they'll know that we know that they are trailing us," mumbled Randy as he thought it over. "Just continue on like we're supposed to. I'll figure something out."

Amanda simply nodded her head before driving the car forward. The two remained silent as they drove through the city's downtown area and as time went on, Randy would periodically check to see if the black SUV was still following them. The vehicle was indeed still following them, but it was now staying three cars behind them at all times.

"They're probably biding their time, waiting for the right moment to strike . . ." mumbled Amanda as she turned the car onto a street which was surprisingly lacking bumper-to-bumper traffic, unlike all the other streets that they recently passed through. "Got any ideas on how to counter them yet Randy?"

"I'm still working on it," said the Viper as he brought a hand to his stubble-ridden chin. "So, have we reached the address yet?"

"Actually, we're already here," said the psychic as she pointed to the building on their right. Randy looked to see that their destination was a large, window-covered skyscraper that had to be at least 40 stories high. Amanda parked in the first available spot she could find and cut the ignition. The two exited the Camaro, and looked to see, to their slight disbelief, that the SUV was no longer behind them. "That's strange. I didn't see the car pass us. You think they didn't make the turn?"

"They may have not made the turn, but they're still around," said the Viper, his senses on high alert as he looked around at their surroundings. "Stay on guard. They could be anywhere."

Amanda nodded her head before following the tall man toward the entrance. They stepped through the glass doors and into a sprawling monochromatic lobby, which had a very noticeable crystal chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling. It was obviously the room's main attraction, because there were barely any noticeable items in the sparsely furnished area. The two made their way to the long receptionist table at the back of the lobby, where a security guard and the lone receptionist were waiting. A hallway leading to the building's elevators was only a few feet behind the desk.

"Is it just me or are they staring at you more than me?" Amanda sarcastically asked in a low voice as the two looked at the desk. Her eyes couldn't help but notice that both the guard and the receptionist were staring more at the vampire beside her than her herself.

"It's their natural instincts kicking in, I guess. They're bodies are starting to perceive me as a threat, especially the guard," Randy whispered back, a small smirk starting to show on his face. "As for the receptionist, she's less guarded and more . . ."

"Awestruck?" Amanda suggested as she let out a small chuckle. "I think it's your vampire beauty that's getting to her. She's already stripping you down to your skivvies in her head right now."

"Well that's disturbing, but she isn't the first to do so . . ." mumbled Randy. His comment made the psychic stop for a good minute before she followed after him. When the two reached the receptionist desk, the guard quickly averted his gaze to look at his security monitor, but Amanda had to snap her fingers in front of the receptionist's face in order to get her attention.

"Hi, I'm here for an interview with one of the directors of the Ionescu Conglomerate. My name's Amanda Evans." said Amanda as she took her modeling portfolio out of her bag.

"Give me one minute . . ." said the receptionist as she quickly started typing on her keyboard, her face slightly pink in embarrassment as looked at her computer screen. Amanda simply chalked that one up to the vampire on her left. "Oh yes, the director is expecting you. However, there is no mention of you coming here with your boyfriend."

"Oh, he's not my boyfriend," Amanda instantly stated, the blood rising to her cheeks at the sudden thought. Randy's eyes widened at the statement, but he simply looked away before anyone could notice his expression. "He's just a friend of mine that wanted to come along to give me some moral support."

"I see . . ." the receptionist said with a hint of suspicion in her voice. "Anyway, I'll call up to the office to tell them that you're coming upstairs. The Ionescu offices are located on the 29th floor. Just walk down the hallway behind me and take one of the elevators up."

"Thanks . . ." said Amanda as she hiked her bag over her shoulder. Randy nodded his head at the receptionist before following Amanda into the hallway and over to the elevators. He couldn't help but sneak a look at her face to see that despite her darker skin tone, he could still see that blood had pooled into her cheeks in slight embarrassment. "Well, that was a bit uncalled for. . ."

"What was uncalled for?" asked the Viper as he raised an eyebrow. "The fact that she thought I was your boyfriend?"

"Well, yeah . . ." mumbled the psychic as she pressed the button for the elevator. "Just because we know each other doesn't mean we're dating, or interested in each other for that matter. We've only known each other for a couple of days after all . . . Besides, I'm sure you already have someone special in your life waiting for you back home after your mission here is over. I bet you already claimed someone's heart like the catch you are. . ."

"I used to . . ."

At the sudden dark tone in his voice, Amanda turned to see that a sudden change had happened in the Viper. His body was tense, his head was bowed low, and his eyes had become glassy, as if he was remembering a sad memory from his past, which was a sudden 180 from the alert vampire mercenary he was just minutes prior.

"Randy, are you okay?" Amanda asked as the elevator doors slid open. "Is there something wrong? Was it something I said?"

"No, no, I'm fine," said Randy as he quickly snapped out of it, his mood changing once again. He stepped into the elevator and turned around to see Amanda staring at him with an unsure look on her face, as if she couldn't comprehend Randy's sudden mood swings. "Are you coming or not?"

"I'm coming . . ." said Amanda as broke out of her unsure stupor and stepped into the cart beside him. "I'm just shocked at how fast you can change emotions on me. A vampire's emotions are really a volatile thing after all."

Randy said nothing at that, choosing to stay quiet as Amanda pressed the button for the 29th floor. The two remained silent as they traveled upward, with Amanda looking through her portfolio and Randy looking at his phone to see if he had received any messages. The two figured that they would be going straight up with no interruptions, but those hopes were dashed when the elevator made a sudden stop on the 9th floor.

"I guess someone has to travel up just like us . . ." mumbled Amanda as the doors began to slide open.

"I'm not so sure about that Amanda, because I have a bad feeling about this . . ." grumbled Randy as he took a step forward, keeping Amanda behind him as he did so. When the doors completely slid open, it revealed a short blonde man and two taller raven haired men dressed in all black. Each of them was carrying a knife holster around their right legs. "Shit . . ."

"It's finally nice to meet you Mr. Orton. You have quite the reputation, one that reaches all corners of the globe," said the blonde man at the front of the group. His English was fair at best, but his thick Romanian accent made some of his words unclear. "It's a good decision for you to keep yourself in front of Ms. Evans, but don't worry. We're not going to cause you trouble."

"Not yet anyway . . ." said the man on the first man's left. A small smirk dotted his face, which didn't calm the worries of Amanda, or settle down the agitation in Randy.

"We're here to _escort_ you to your destination. The director upstairs is awaiting Ms. Evans arrival, and he is not one to be kept waiting," said the man in front. By that time, he had already stepped into the elevator with his two pals in tow, practically surrounding the Amanda and Randy as they did so. "So, shall we get moving?"

Amanda and Randy never answered him, but it was enough of an answer for the three men before them. The man on the right was the closest to the elevator panel, so he was the one that pressed the button to close the doors, effectively closing any chance of escape for the model and the mercenary.

**Please review!**


	14. The Go-See

Chapter 14: The Go-See

"_Okay . . . this is definitely not what I was expecting to see on my go-see. . ."_

That was the first thought that came into Amanda's head as the three men joined them in the elevator, their eyes all trained on her and Randy as the door slid shut. She eyed all three men as the elevator began gliding upward, not meeting the gazes of the two dark haired men as the blonde kept his eyes trained on the door. She then averted her eyes to Randy's back, no longer wanting to meet their dark, unforgiving gazes.

Randy could feel Amanda's staring into his back, as if she was trying to bore a hole right through his tall frame. However, he tried to not focus on that. Instead, he started thinking of ideas on how to get them both out of their situation unscathed, but so far, the ideas he had come up with had more than their fair share of drawbacks.

"_These guys definitely look well trained, and they are all armed. I have no idea if their knives are poisonous or not though . . . My chances on taking them on three to one is definitely taking a hit due to being in such a closed space and their weaponry," _thought the Viper as he kept his gaze on the three men before him. _"But Amanda may get caught in the crossfire if I attempt anything physical. Sure, she has her psychic powers, but who knows how far they'll protect her if I start fighting them now."_

"_To be honest, I can't do anything _purely mental_ with my powers regardless, not when they have a barrier in place protecting their minds." _

"_AMANDA!" _Randy exclaimed in his head, his reaction earning him a sharp chuckle from the psychic woman, the short laugh successfully hid behind a small cough. _"Why the hell are you in my head?!"_

"_Well, for starters, I'm sorry for the sudden intrusion. Up until this point, I have been mindful to stay out of your head during the duration of our time together because I wanted to respect your privacy,"_ Amanda quickly explained herself as she looked off to the side. _"However, once the three men in black here decided to _escort_ us upstairs, I figured it would be best to continue any further conversations with each other through a telepathic link. Well, until we're finally out of this place at least."_

"_But how did you manage to access my mind in the first place? My mind isn't the easiest place to break into!"_

"_Well, it wasn't that hard once I put my mind to it, no pun intended," _said Amanda, her voice sounding cryptic. _"Don't worry. I'm only accessing your mind for the purpose of keeping the link up. I promise that I will not look into any thoughts or past memories of yours while I'm accessing your mind."_

"_Good, I don't want you to anyway. My memories are my business and my business only, so don't look through my personal space more than you already have to," _ordered Randy as the elevator finally reached the 29th floor. _"How long can you keep this link up anyway?"_

"_For as long as I need to. Infinitely, if I must."_

"_Good, because we are really going to need it now," _thought the Viper as the doors slid open. He moved to take a step toward the door, but the two raven haired men instantly stood in front of him, blocking his path. "Something wrong boys? My friend here has an appointment to get to, and this is her floor."

"We understand that your friend here has an appointment with a director of the Ionescu Conglomerate, however, there has been a slight change of plans. The director would like to meet with Ms. Evans on the top floor, so we will be going there instead." said the blonde, pressing the button for the top floor as he did. It wasn't long before the doors closed and the elevator went upward once again. "I hope you both don't mind the sudden _shift _in schedule."

"_This doesn't feel right,"_ thought Amanda as Randy resettled in his spot before her. _"These men and the director must be in cahoots with each other."_

"_He could possibly be the one that sent the mercenaries after you to begin with," _Randy further added as the elevator finally reached the top floor. _"Stay vigilant. Things could possibly get messy from here on out."_

"_Right . . ." _stated Amanda as the doors slid open. The five departed the elevator, with the blonde in front, Amanda and Randy in the middle, and the two raven haired men bringing up the rear. The building's top floor was simply one large, expansive room with white pillars spread out among the area. The surrounding walls were all floor-to-ceiling windows, giving the five scenic views of the area around them.

The three men in black guided Amanda and Randy to the far back of the room, where a tall man dressed in a crisp black suit was standing with his back to them, his face obscured from view. Even with his back turned to them, Amanda and Randy could sense that there was something _not quite right_ about the man.

"Mr. Tchaikovsky, we have brought Ms. Evans to you, as you have requested." said the blonde as he bowed his head, the two raven haired men mimicking the action.

"I see Ms. Evans wasn't the only person that you brought to this engagement," said Mr. Tchaikovsky, the words coming out as an accented deep timbre. "I was expecting only her today, but apparently, she came as part of a package deal."

"Sorry to ruin your plans," said Randy, a hint of smugness in his tone. "But did you really expect me to sit back and let the person I'm assigned to protect come here by herself, knowing full well that there are people after her?"

"When you put it that way, I see your point," said Mr. Tchaikovsky as he turned around to face the group. He was a handsome man that looked to be in his mid-40s, with chiseled cheekbones, a pointed nose, and bright pale blue eyes. "I heard that you were assigned this mission along with two of your associates, and I figured you would come along for Ms. Evans appointment . . . I was looking forward to it actually. It's not everyday you see someone like yourself walk through the door."

"Stop with the flattering will ya? For someone who has an interest in Amanda, you're not showing it right now," voiced Randy as he looked at the three men in black. "Then again, I may have misspoken. You must have some interest in her if you're going to send three men to trail her car and escort her all the way up here."

"That I do, that I do," said the well dressed man as he turned his gaze to the silent woman before him. "To start off Ms. Evans, I have to apologize. I believe you came here thinking that you were here for a casting with the conglomerate of some kind, but sorry, that is not entirely the case. Your agency was told that this was a casting because we needed a good reason for you to come to us."

"You lured me here," Amanda stated with a scowl on her face. "_Why_ did you lure me here? What do you want from me anyway?"

"To start off, you, my dear, are a beautiful girl," said Mr. Tchaikovsky as he took a small step forward. "Sure, you have your looks, height, and overall physical assets working for you, but my associates and I have quite the interest in you for one reason, above all else."

"Associates?" Amanda asked almost cynically, her eyes showing her disbelief. "You talk as if you're on the same level of these 'associates' you are speaking of."

"Excuse me?" asked Mr. Tchaikovsky as he looked at her slightly confused. "Are you saying that I am lying?"

"I wouldn't say that you're lying Mr. Tchaikovsky. It's more like you're making yourself sound bigger than what you actually are," Amanda calmly explained as all eyes turned to her. "You're only speaking the way you are speaking right now in order to intimidate us . . . You're probably just a low ranked lackey that was sent to represent your higher ups. You're not at the top of the food chain, far from it actually . . . It's almost saddening."

Mr. Tchaikovsky looked taken aback by Amanda's sudden conclusion, his eyes showing his disbelief as he stared straight at her. The three guards also looked stunned at this latest development. As for Randy, he looked very impressed, a small smirk showing on his face as he snuck a look at the woman behind him.

"Don't look so surprised Mr. Tchaikovsky. I must admit that you definitely look the part, but your mind says otherwise." Amanda calmly replied with a smirk, her eyes looking absolutely mischievous.

"You cannot see inside my mind. It is protected by a barrier," said Mr. Tchaikovsky, his eyes looking adamant as he kept his voice leveled. "It is not possible for you to see inside my head."

"Oh, I know. Your mental barrier is the same as the barriers protecting the minds of your friends here. Definitely high quality, one that keeps psychics prying minds at bay with ease," said the psychic as she did a small shrug. "I figured I just bluff my way around, see where it get me, and I think I definitely got far."

"I'd say," Randy further added as he turned to look at the man in the suit. "If you were truly what you said you were, you wouldn't have reacted the way you did just now. Your face, and the faces of your pals here, told us all we needed to know."

"Damn . . . you are good. You are very good," said Mr. Tchaikovsky as he let out a disbelieving laugh. "The men above told me I should be wary of you due to your mental gifts Ms. Evans. But the bluff . . . You figured me out through a bluff. I can't believe it . . ."

"Don't worry. You are not the first to fall for my ability to bluff," said Amanda, her blue eyes almost piercing. "Now then, back to business. You were about to tell us why exactly I am being so sought after."

"You know what? I was going to tell you," said the man as he brought a hand to his chin. "But now, I am thinking better of it."

"C'mon, we already know that you people are after her for her powers," Randy growled in a low tone."What we want to know is _why_?"

"Like I have said before, I will say it again," said Mr. Tchaikovsky, his expression now bordering on smug as the tension continued to build in the room. "I have thought better of it. I will not tell you. I'll let you figure it out for yourselves."

"Fine then," said Randy, his glare becoming more and more deadly by the second. "Have it your way."

"_Randy, what are you planning?"_

Randy heard Amanda speak to him through their link, her voice sounding suspicious and questioning of his intentions. He chose to ignore her in that moment. He checked around at his surroundings one last time, measuring the distance between each person and himself, planning his next move. . .

. . . And make his next move, he did.

With lightning quick speed, Randy grabbed the knife from the holder strapped to the blonde's leg while simultaneously punching him in the back, right in the spine, cracking it upon impact. As the blonde crumpled to the ground, Randy jammed the knife into the stunned Mr. Tchaikovsky's neck, thrusting it in till it reached the bones in the very back. He quickly pulled it out, blood spilling to the ground as he quickly moved to stop the last two cronies. He quickly slashed the throat of one before stabbing the other in the heart before snapping his neck.

When all was said and done, Randy looked at the mess of bodies around him before quickly snapping the necks of the other three men. Once he was finished with snapping Mr. Tchaikovsky's neck, he stood up and turned to Amanda, who looked at him with a blank look on her face as her body remained completely still, as if her brain was still in the middle of processing everything that suddenly happened around her.

"Well . . . that was fast," said the psychic, her voice almost a whisper. "That was very fast . . . It was all, like a blur. I didn't see you move per se, but I definitely saw the bodies fall. That was quick, efficient, and a bit scary, all at the same time . . ."

"Thanks . . ." said Randy as he dropped the bloody knife to the ground. He quickly looked down at himself, noticing that he got minimal blood on his clothes, before he observed her face, noticing the beads of sweat that started to gather along her hairline. "You're not traumatized or going into shock are you?"

"What? No, no!" Amanda quickly exclaimed as she shook her head, violently almost. "I'm not traumatized, and I'm not going into shock. . . Just, please warn me the next time you pull something like this, just so I can mentally prepare myself for what's going to come. I seriously don't like to be surprised, and what you did was definitely surprising."

Randy looked at her as if she grew a second head, shock the dominant emotion he was feeling as he listened to what the woman had to say. He knew that there was the possibility, and a big one at that, that he had to kill some people during this mission. Amanda even joined him in disposing of a body already and she didn't even look fazed then. But now, the woman looked like she was about to hurl as she continued to look at the bloody mess around them.

"Are you serious? You're freaking out now?"Randy couldn't help but ask as his shock morphed into a small grin. "You have seen me kill before, and you didn't look disturbed by it. Why the change now?"

"Yeah, yeah . . . I saw you kill before, _and _I helped you dispose of a body, but that was because I knew to expect it. I was _mentally prepared _for it," said Amanda as she brought a hand to her forehead. "But this time around, you completely shut me out. I was caught way_ off guard_. How was I supposed to know that you were going to pull of a mini-killing spree like this? I've been respectfully keeping myself out of your head, well, besides the link of course, till now because I was respecting your privacy. But now, I'm rethinking the whole thing if you plan to keep this up."

"Alright, alright. I hear you loud and clear," said Randy as he raised his hands in a show of surrender, mostly because he feared that the girl may turn blue if she didn't take in a much needed deep breath. "I can see your point. I see where you are coming from with this . . . I guess I was in the wrong for not warning you beforehand. If we ever find ourselves in a situation like this again, I will use the link to give you a warning so you're better prepared."

"Thank you . . ." said Amanda as she took in a deep breath. "That's all I am asking for, and I don't usually ask for much."

"Alright then, but I got to admit. Even though you had no forewarning to my sudden actions, you kept your composure really well through it all. Hell, you didn't even flinch," complimented Randy as he shot her a look that was bordering on smug. He got an ice cold glare in return. "Okay, okay, I'll stop. I know when I'm pushing it."

"So. now what?" asked the psychic as she looked at the dead men at their feet. "Do we leave them here to rot, or dispose of them?"

"Don't worry. I'll take care of them."

At the sound of the new voice, Randy immediately pulled Amanda behind him, his eyes quickly scoping out the room for the intruder. A growl threatened to erupt from the pit of his throat as his nose picked up on the scent, which, unfortunately, was familiar to him. Amanda followed the Viper's gaze toward the elevator, their eyes locking in on the hooded man dressed in all black that stood on the right of the floor's only exit. Despite the hood obscuring most of the man's face, Randy could still see the man's smile as clear as day, and it was a smile that he definitely didn't like.

"Well, well, well . . . long time no see huh Randy?" asked the man as he finally removed his hood, revealing his slicked-back black hair, dark eyes, and pierced lip. "How long has it been now? Five, six years?"

"Punk, it has definitely been a while," grumbled Randy as he stood up from his sudden crouch. "I haven't seen you since McMahon fired your ass from the organization all those years ago. You disappeared from the face of the earth after that . . . And now, here you are. What are you doing here anyway?"

"Making the rounds for my new _employer_." said Punk as he started to walk around the room. "The boss sent me up here to _oversee _Ms. Evans' appointment with the _director_ here, and apparently, I got here a little too late. He'll be quite impressed with what I have to report to him later. Of course, I used to work with ya Ran, so of course, I expected this kind of thing from you."

"You work for the same guy that these dipshits worked for?" Randy asked as he gestured to the bodies behind him. "If that's the case, you know what's going to happen if you pursue Amanda any further."

"Oh, I know, and I welcome the challenge, especially now that I know that you are working this case," said Punk as he looked at the bodies. "Now then, from the look on your face, I know that you want to kill me, but we're going to have to save that for another day. I have four bodies to dispose of right now."

"I don't know about that," grumbled Randy. "Killing you right now would be a big hit to the guy you work for. It would be a major drawback to whatever plans he may have."

"True, but remember, we have fought each other before, and we both know how those matches went," said Punk, his sickening grin earning him the Viper's ire. "Besides, shouldn't you be on your way now. If you make it back now, you may be able to help the others."

"Kaitlyn, Kelly . . ." Randy could hear the worry in her tone as the woman behind him spoke. "Randy?"

"Don't worry. Your roommates will be fine. Ted and Cody are with them after all." Randy calmly stated as he began shuffling Amanda around as Punk moved closer to the bodies.

"Oh yes, your vampire buddies from work . . . I remember them," said Punk as brought a hand to his chin. "But do you really think Amanda's friends will be fine once your boys' weaknesses are used against them. They won't have a chance, trust me, I know."

"We need to get out of here Randy," Amanda stated as she grabbed hold of the back of Randy's shirt, instantly gaining his attention. "We need to leave now. I'll explain once we get out of here."

"You better listen to her Randy," said Punk as he finally reached the bodies. "I would if I were you."

"Damn it . . . You sure?" Randy asked the psychic in a hushed tone as she shot Punk a harsh look.

"Look, I know you want to kill this guy, or at least deck him, but trust me when I say that something really bad is going to happen, and it's going to happen soon," said Amanda as they finally reached the elevator. "We need to get back to the others, and fast. They're in danger . . . Besides, it doesn't look like your friend there is personally coming after us anytime soon."

"Not really. In time though, in time," said Punk as he took out a lighter from his pocket. The elevator doors slid open at that moment, and Randy and Amanda quickly got inside. Just as the doors were sliding closed, Punk addressed them one more time. "I can't wait till we meet again Randy. Who knows? The next time we meet, could be our last after all."

**Please review!**


	15. Regroup

Chapter 15: Regroup

"I can't wait till we meet again Randy. Who knows? The next time we meet, could be our last after all?"

"We'll see about that Punk . . ." Randy mumbled as the doors finally sealed shut. As the elevator began to travel back down to the lobby, the Viper turned his attention to Amanda. She was searching her bag for her phone, the sound of its vibration echoing throughout the compartment. "You really think the others are in danger?"

"I don't think so. I _know _so. It's just that . . . well, when you know, you know. The danger's not actually imminent, but it's close. Like within 24 hours close," she told him as she finally freed her phone from her bag's clutches. She checked her phone to see that the call was coming from an unknown number. "Uh, I don't recognize this number at all."

Randy looked at the phone with narrowed eyes before gesturing for the psychic to give her phone to him. She obliged, handing the device over to the vampire, who didn't hesitate to answer it.

"To whoever is calling, Amanda is unavailable to take this call right now," said the Viper, his voice calm, yet deadly all in one. "If you want to leave a message, I'll make sure to give it to her after you hang up."

"Hmm . . . I never took you for a comedian Mr. Orton. Your impersonation of a secretary almost made me laugh . . . well, almost," said the person on the other side, his voice slow and deliberate. Randy quickly took note that the man's voice did not hold a trace of a Romanian accent. He spoke in perfect English. He also took note that the man also knew who he was, which only meant that nothing good would be coming from this call. "I know that Amanda is with you right now, so I hope you pass this on to her, and I hope you pass it on to her quickly."

"Who are you?" Randy asked him, his eyes locking onto Amanda's own for the briefest of moments. "You don't expect me to relay the message to her if I have no idea who exactly this message is coming from do you?"

"You make a good point there Mr. Orton, but do you really expect me to reveal my true identity to you so easily . . . You'll have to try better than that." said the man, his voice teasing. "But I'll be nice enough to throw you a bone. I am indeed connected to those that are after the girl that you're protecting . . ."

"Connected? Or are you actually the mastermind behind it?"

"Hmm . . . I think we both know what that answer will be Mr. Orton," said the man, his teasing making Randy grit his teeth in irritation. "Anyway, if you plan to relay a message to her from me, tell her this: She must give herself up to my associates in one hour, or else her friends will pay a dear price for her stubbornness."

"In one hour you say?" Randy asked as the elevator finally reached the lobby. He quickly took his phone out of his back pocket, quickly typed in his passcode, and handed it over to Amanda, who looked at him slightly confused.

"_Find Cody or Ted's number and contact either one of them. Tell them that we were contacted by the guy that's after you and that he wants you to give yourself up in one hour or else Kaitlyn and Kelly will pay. They'll know what to do next." _said Randy, saying this all through their telepathic link. Amanda quickly nodded her head before starting to look through Randy's contact list. It didn't take her long to start texting, her face the epitome of concentration.

"And if she does give herself up?" asked Randy as he guided a too-focused Amanda out of the elevator and into the hall.

"Then no harm will come to her friends, or the security detail that is protecting them," said the voice, his tone now carrying a threatening edge to it. "All you would have to do Mr. Orton, is to leave Amanda at the location you are currently at right now. My men will pick her up, and she would be out of your hair. No harm will come to you either, if you keep your end of the exchange."

"I see . . ." Randy mumbled, his thoughts going back to a certain dark-haired individual back on the building's top floor. "I'll make sure to give Amanda the message Mr. . ."

"You can call me Mr. S for now . . . Please make sure she does get this message. And before we end this little chat, here's a word of advice: Don't try anything you may regret doing later."

And with that, Mr. S ended the call from his end, the sounds of the dial tone echoing from the phone's receiver. Randy kissed his teeth in annoyance before ending the call and exchanging phones with Amanda, who looked at him with an anxious expression.

"Well?" she asked as she leaned against the wall. "What else did the guy say?"

"The guy on the line - Mr. S is apparently the name he is going by - wants me to leave you here at this building. Apparently, when the hour is up, he'll have his men come here and pick you up. If we comply with what he asks for, the others will be okay," Randy calmly answered as he dropped his phone back into his pocket. "Who'd you text?"

"Cody. He texted back that he and Ted will have the girls out of the house and in a safe location soon," Amanda calmly replied as the two walked down the hall and out into the lobby. The psychic quickly used her mental prowess to make the receptionist and the security guard turn the other way, making sure that their eyes didn't see the specks of blood that was still drying on the Viper's hands. "So, what are we going to do?"

"I'll tell you what I'm not going to do. I'm not leaving you here to fend for yourself," Randy adamantly said as the two stopped at the door. "That's not the kind of person I am! We're leaving here and regrouping with the others, and that's final."

"It's good to know that you're not one to easily submit to the bad guy's whims," said Amanda, a look of respect shown across her face. "Have you always been this stubborn?"

"Ever since I was a little kid." Randy said with a smirk as he ushered her out the building. "Do you mind if I drive this time around?"

"Hmm . . . I guess I'll let you drive my baby just this once," the psychic conceded as she handed him the keys. Randy quickly jogged over to the Camaro's driver side door while Amanda got into the passenger seat, her eyes now looking surprisingly stern. "If you get a single scratch on this bad boy, I will kick your ass."

"Are you seriously threatening me with bodily harm right now?" Randy asked with an eyebrow raised. "I still have time to bring your ass right back into the building you know?"

"As if you would actually do that?" Amanda retorted as she strapped herself into her seat. "You don't seem like a guy that would go back on their word so easily . . . Also, are you really that afraid of the prospect of me doing you bodily harm if you're willing to at least _say _that you would leave me on my own Mr. Deadly Mercenary?"

"Are you always this much of a smartass with people?" Randy asked as he put the key into the ignition.

"Professionally, no. I'm usually more sarcastic. When I'm off the clock, then yeah, I tend to be a bit of a smartass," said Amanda, her honesty earning her a stunned look from the vampire. "Hmm, a stunned expression doesn't really suit you Randy. You're more of the silent, brooding type."

"Oh . . . thanks for noticing then," Randy grumbled as he started driving them down the street. As time went on, it didn't take long for Randy to notice the slightly perplexed look that was coming across Amanda's face. "We're not going straight back to your house, if that's what you were wondering."

"I should have figured that was going to be a possibility . . . Where are you taking me then?"

"If my hunch is right, I'm taking you to the same location that Ted and Cody are most likely going to take Kelly and Kaitlyn," said Randy as he drove onto an intersecting street. "The journey won't take long . . . Okay, it'll be a bit of a drive, and I'm going to take a very long route to get there, just to be on the safe side."

"Don't you think whoever is after me is going to have someone tail us?" Amanda asked as she looked out the back window. "Mr. S could have easily expected you to not keep your end of his proposal. Whoever he sent to 'pick me up' could easily be following us right now, as we speak."

"You make a very good point, and that's why I'm taking a very long route to get to where we need to go," said Randy as he stopped the car at a red light. "I need you to be my eyes and ears during this drive. Fan your telepathic abilities out into the area around us. Tell me when you detect someone tracking us."

"That is something I can definitely do . . ." said Amanda, all of the emotion draining away from her face as her eyes closed shut. It took another five minutes of driving to pass by before her eyes reopened. "Oh yeah . . . we're being tracked alright. Black SUV four cars behind us, to be exact. There's four guys in there, and their minds aren't as protected as the minds of the first three guys that trailed us. However, it's still hard to read a thought from any of them."

"Well, at least we know that Mr. S likes to work fast," mumbled the Viper as he brought a hand to his stubble-ridden chin. "If only we had a way to get them off our tails."

"I think I may know a way," Amanda mumbled as she turned around in her seat as best as she could. With her eyes directed at the black SUV, she outstretched her hand toward it and closed her eyes. Suddenly, she jerked her hand as if she was turning the steering wheel of a car, grasping the invisible wheel with a firm grip. All of a sudden, a loud screeching could be heard before the sound of a loud crash. When Randy turned his head to take a quick peek, he saw the back of the SUV sticking out of the doorway of an old building that was set to be torn down. "That should keep them busy for a while."

"I got to admit. I've never seen a psychic exert telekinetic control quite like that," said Randy, a slight twinge of respect apparent in his tone. "That was impressive."

"Thank you. Now then, I suggest you start driving before one of the guys emerge from the SUV," the psychic suggested as the light turned green. "We wouldn't want my hard work go in vain now would we?"

"When you put it that way, not really." Randy said in agreement as he continued to drive them down the street, the both of them smiling at the sudden turn of events.

* * *

**x-X-x-X-x**

The drive took the two to the most densely forested area outside of the city. Trees lined both sides of the single-laned road they were currently on, the forests so thick that it was hard to see what was hidden behind them. Amanda and Randy spent most of the journey in a comfortable silence, both of them mentally off in their own little worlds and minding each other's business.

"This location you're taking me to . . . Is this, like, your organization's official safe house or something like that?" Amanda suddenly asked, her voice penetrating the silence that had enveloped the car for the past hour straight.

"It's not an official safe house that everyone back at work knows about . . . It's more like a small bungalow that only a select few of us know about," Randy calmly explained, his eyes looking forward at the road ahead. "Ted, Cody, John, and I are the only ones that know about this place. It used to belong to Ted's father before he moved away years ago."

"Who's John?"

"John's a fellow coworker of mine," Randy calmly answered her as he turned the car onto a dirt path that was almost unnoticeable from the paved road. "We started at the organization together in its 'trainee' program many years ago and we eventually became friends. We became roommates about a couple of months after we started in the program, and well, the rest is history."

"Huh . . . I never thought of you as a person that would actually live with a roommate," the psychic mumbled, her eyebrows raised in slight disbelief. "You seem like a person that would live by yourself. Not because you hate people, more like you prefer to not have your personal space invaded by others virtually on a daily basis."

"Hmm, you're not the first person to make that kind of conclusion," Randy conceded as the car started to go slightly downward. "But John's an okay guy. He's not very nosy, pretty organized . . . It's just easy to room with him, I guess."

"And I'm guessing he's not the kind of guy to skip out on paying his share of the rent right?" Amanda further asked as a small smirk appeared on her face.

"Not in the slightest . . . Actually, he was the one to always annoy me about it, dropping hints about when it was time to pay my share of the rent and all that . . . well, back when we used to pay rent. Now we just own the building we live in. Our landlord signed the deed over to us seven years ago. We were the only two to live in the building anyway . . ." the Viper ended up explaining as the bungalow finally came into view. "Good, we're finally here."

"And it looks like we weren't the first to get here after all . . ." Amanda mumbled as Randy parked the car in the driveway, right next to his Hummer. "The place looks nice."

"Thanks for the compliment . . . Don't worry, it looks better inside than it does outside." Randy explained as he cut the ignition and handed her back the keys. "Come on."

Amanda followed the Viper out of the Camaro and up the small steps to the house's front porch. Before Randy could even open the door, the door swung open, and Kaitlyn ran out of the building and quickly enveloped her roommate in a bone crushing hug, taking both Amanda and Randy quite off guard.

"Oh thank goodness you guys made it here okay!" Kaitlyn exclaimed as she let go of the psychic and then practically glomped the vampire, her arms enveloping Randy before the man could even react. "I was starting to get worried about the both of you."

"Sorry about that . . ." mumbled Cody as he, Ted, and Kaitlyn emerged from the building. Ted had his phone out, apparently taking video or photos of Kaitlyn practically hugging the crap out of the still startled Viper. "She's been like this ever since Amanda texted me earlier."

"And now that you're here, we can finally get a proper explanation on what happened with you guys today," said Kelly, her eyes looking straight at Kaitlyn as Amanda practically pried her off Randy. "Are you okay now Kaitlyn?"

"I'm fine . . ." said the Texan as she turned to her 'hug' victims. "Sorry about that. You know how I get . . ."

"Of course I do. Randy, on the other hand, is a different story." said Amanda as she stepped into the house.

"I did not expect that from you Kaitlyn. Please never do that again." said the Viper, his face going into it's familiar expressionless mask as he followed Amanda. The group made their way to the spacious living room, where the girls took a seat on the large leather sofa. Ted and Cody took a seat in the matching leather chairs off to the sides of the couch, leaving Randy as the only one standing. "Amanda, do you want to tell the story, or should I have the honors?"

"I guess I'll tell it. . ." Amanda mumbled as she leaned back into her seat. She then launched herself into the story, telling the group about their trip from start to finish, with Randy adding in his two cents here and there. When she was finally finished, her roommates faces were a mixture of shock and disbelief, while Cody and Ted's faces were as expressionless as Randy's own. "Well, that's everything . . ."

"Damn, that was definitely one interesting go-see you went on," mumbled Kelly as she nervously combed her fingers through her hair. "So, now we know that some mysterious dude named Mr. S is after you, and that he is powerful enough to have a posse of men that follow his commands, including a previous co-worker of the boys here . . . This should be fun."

"I can't believe Punk is working for the opposition . . ." mumbled Cody as a disgruntled look came across his face. "Actually, I can . . . The bastard always did have a personality that rubbed people the wrong way. He was almost self-righteous in a way."

"How much trouble can he possibly be?" Kaitlyn mumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes looking quite unsure. "He did work with you guys for the same people. I'm sure you have some inkling on what his abilities are . . . Right?"

"Of course we do. Like you said, we've worked with him before," said Cody. "Physically, he's a pretty lean looking guy. He's not a muscle-buff freak by any means . . . However, his physical looks have not hindered his work. He worked his way up the ladder and became one of the best in the organization before he was let go, and head-to-head, he's an exceptionally skilled fighter . . ."

"So skilled that he beat Randy in a bunch of sparring matches in the past . . . He's the only one that could ever claim that distinction against him," Ted further added, earning him a sharp look from the taller man. When Ted noticed the glare, he quickly averted his gaze to the wall behind Randy. "Well, it's true . . . Whether you like it or not Ran."

"Which I don't, if you were wondering. . ." the Viper grumbled as he saw that all the girls' eyes were now on him. "Yes, Punk and I fought each other in a lot of sparring matches in the past, and yes, he's beaten me in most of them . . . To this day, I'm still trying to figure out how he did it."

"That's strange . . ." Amanda mumbled as she got up from her seat. "You're right. Punk isn't the most physically imposing guy I've ever seen, but he's tall, I'll give him that. To be honest, he looks about my height, and I'm 6'2 . . . Does he have any, like, special abilities that he tends to use in his fights? Maybe that's how he scored those wins."

"Don't look at me for the answer. I may have the most experience fighting him, but I never really paid attention long enough to see if he had a special ability . . ." grumbled Randy as he started to crack his knuckles.

"Maybe that's why you always lost to him so much . . ." Kelly mumbled, but not low enough that the vampires were unable to hear it. She turned her eyes away before Randy could glare at her too. "Sorry if I hit a sore spot . . ."

"Cody and I have seen plenty of Randy's matches against Punk . . . The thing is, when you see the two of them fight, they're evenly matched. However, somehow, some way, Punk always pulled out the win," Ted mumbled, his voice indicating a hint of suspicion. "And it was always last minute too, but sometimes, the win happened so fast that it almost seemed unnatural . . . Maybe you're right Amanda. Maybe Punk always had some hidden ability that he used to win his matches. He does have the disposition for it . . . Hell, we don't even know what kind of species he is! We know he's not human either, but still . . . "

"So, what do we do now?" Kaitlyn asked as Ted trailed off. "How long are we supposed to stay here?"

"The people that are after Amanda already know where you guys live, so your house is a no-go zone for now." Randy muttered as he quickly took a peek out the window.

"I see . . ." mumbled Kaitlyn as she brought a hand to her chin. "Well then, I guess it was a good idea for Kelly and I to pack up some stuff before we left."

Amanda turned to her friend as soon as she said that, her face a mixture of shock, relief, and understanding. "You packed emergency bags?"

"Yep, one for each of us. They're stored in one of the bedrooms down the hall," Kaitlyn calmly explained. "We pretty much packed the essentials: Spare clothes, emergency money, passports . . . Just the stuff a person needs to make a quick getaway."

"Way to think ahead Kaitlyn," Randy said with a nod of approval. "At best, we won't be staying here for long . . . Mr. S most likely has his men searching for us as we speak, so we'll have to keep moving to elude him and his cronies."

"I hope you guys don't mind not going to work for a while," Cody added as he turned his attention back to the girls. "Things are going to get more hectic from here on out."

"I guess we'll have to cash in those paid sick days a lot sooner than we expected," mumbled Kelly as she got out of her seat. "C'mon Kaitlyn, we have a call to make."

"Keep the call short. The less time you talk, the less likely your phone call will be traced back here," Randy quickly advised as the two left the room, neither of them showing any indication that they heard him as they left. He then turned to Amanda, who already had her phone out, dialing up her agency's number. "The same goes for you Missy . . ."

"As if I need to be told twice Mister . . ." Amanda mumbled as she looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Don't worry. I'll keep it short and sweet, just for you Ran."

"Ooh, someone's sarcastic . . ." mumbled a smiling Ted as Amanda stepped out of the room. "Her sarcastic wit may actually rival your own Ran."

"Yeah? Well, we'll see about that," the Viper grumbled as he noticed that both Ted and Cody were still staring at the doorway, as if they were still visualizing the girls walking out the room. "What are you two doing? Get outside and secure the area. Make sure everything's clear."

"Sir, yes sir!" Ted and Cody exclaimed in unison before disappearing from the room. Randy could easily hear them grumbling about his 'short fuse' as they left the house, but he ignored them as he walked over to the nearby bookcase. His eyes were locked on a certain picture frame that was obscured by a stack of DVDs in front of it. He slowly pulled the frame into view, his eyes locked on to the photo of himself with his arms wrapped around a familiar brunette woman.

As this was happening, Amanda silently walked back into the room, but stopped herself when she saw the Viper seemingly lost in thought by the bookcase. Her eyes went to the picture frame he held in his hands, but instead of openingly questioning him about it, she left, choosing to leave the man to his thoughts.

**Please review!**


	16. Evacuate

Chapter 16: Evacuate

"_I wonder what exactly he's looking at in that photo back there." _Amanda thought to herself as she walked away from the living room and down the hallway. She walked into the first bedroom on her left, where she found her two roommates going over the stuff they packed up in their respective emergency bags. "So, is your boss going to be okay with you guys taking time off?"

"Well, he was a little shocked that we called up about taking time off from work so suddenly, but he agreed that it was well deserved since we've never really used our sick days till now." says Kaitlyn as she sat down on the queen sized bed.

"Three weeks of paid leave . . . Bless Mr. Masterson's old heart." Kelly further added as she leaned against the wall. "What about your agency? Is your agent okay with you taking a break from modelling?"

"Trish took a while to convince, but I eventually got the okay from her," said Amanda as she leaned against the doorframe. "She tried to get me to tell her what happened during my go-see today, but I managed to sidestep it."

"It's a good thing you spared her from that. Who knows how well she would have handled hearing that she sent one of her models to, well, pretty much a death trap?" said Kaitlyn as she began to twirl a lock of her brown hair.

"Cut Trish some slack. She's a tough woman. She just . . . well, doesn't take bad news very well." said Amanda, quickly coming to her agent's defense. She then walked over to what she guessed was her bag and quickly dumped it's contents onto the mattress. She shook her head in approval to some of the things that Kaitlyn packed for her, but a look of disbelief crossed her face when she noticed that there were a couple of not-so-practical items mixed in. "Really Kaitlyn? You packed a pair of high heels for me?"

"What? Isn't it model 101 for a working model to carry a pair of heels everywhere she goes?" Kaitlyn asked a tad too innocently.

"I'm not really a working model if I'm taking time off right? And besides, I'm already wearing a pair right now." Amanda argued as she pointed to the four inch heels strapped to her feet. "I don't need to bring another pair on the run with me."

"Huh . . . well, too late now." said Kaitlyn as a cat-like grin appeared on her face. Amanda shot her an annoyed stare as she packed the heels back into the duffle bag. "So, did I do a good job packing your things or not?"

"Besided the heels, and a couple other things in here, you did a pretty decent job Kaitlyn." said Amanda as she quickly folded and packed away everything else back into her bag. When she was done, she turned and left the room. She walked back to the living room, and when she got there, she saw that Randy was still staring at the photo. "How long are you going to stare at that photograph?"

Despite Amanda's voice breaking the silence of the quiet room, Randy didn't even flinch as he lifted his eyes away from the photo. He turned his head to see the model standing in the doorway, their eyes connecting for a split second before he turned back to the item in his hands.

"I guess this isn't really a good time to be looking back on old memories then . . ." Randy mumbled as he opened the picture frame. "I need to be vigilant, not off tangent."

"When I spoke my question, I didn't mean that you looking at the photo was a bad thing. It's okay to reminisce every once in awhile." said Amanda, backtracking on her previous statement as Randy took the photo out of the frame, folded it, and slid it into his back pocket.

"It may be good to think back on old memories, but in my case, I have more bad memories than good. And the good memories . . . well, they're a tad bittersweet, to say the least." Randy murmured as he set the frame back on the shelf.

"Something tells me that whatever is shown in that photo you have in your back pocket is something that you don't usually talk about with others." said Amanda, her statement stopping the Viper in his tracks, just as he was about to walk out of the room.

"Hmpfh . . . I'll admit. You're right. It's not something I usually talk about with others."

And with that, Randy walked out of the room and down the hallway, bypassing Kelly and Kaitlyn as they stepped out of the bedroom to get to the kitchen.

"Sheesh, what's eating him up?" mumbled Kelly as she looked down the hallway at the retreating Viper's back. "He looks so tense. Then again, when is he not looking tense?"

"Old memories Kelly. Old memories." Amanda simply answered her as the sounds of incoming footsteps grabbed their attention. They all turned their heads to see Cody and Ted walking toward them with relaxed expressions on their faces. "Judging from the looks on your faces, I'm guessing you secured the area successfully?"

"Yep, we got no problems to report," said Ted as he placed his hands on his hips. "So, care to tell us what you three were talking about right before we got here just now?"

"As if you didn't hear us," said Kelly as she raised an eyebrow. "With that sensitive hearing you two have, you could have heard every single word that was spoken in this house while you two were out."

"Okay, she has us there . . ." said Ted, a sheepish look stretching across his face as he scratched the back of his neck. "It's true. We heard everything while we were outside."

"The beauty, as well as the curse, of sensitive hearing is that you hear a lot of stuff most people wouldn't be able to, whether you like it or not." Cody further added as he looked down the hallway. "As for Randy, don't worry about him. He'll get himself back to his usual stoic self in no time."

"Well, that's good to know . . ." Kaitlyn mumbled as she leaned against the wall. "But I'm still curious. What's got Randy so, so irritated, I guess?"

"I have no clue. All I know for sure is that he was staring intently at a photo he plucked off the shelf in the living room, like, the photo brought back some old memories for him . . . Then again, that's usually what happens when you look at old photos," said Amanda as she noticed the quick look that the two vampires just shared. "You two know something that we don't know, don't you?"

"We do." said Ted.

"However, it's not our story to tell," added Cody, a smug smirk now appearing on his face. "That photo Randy was looking at does, most likely, connect to his past, but if you want to know more about it, you're going to have to ask him for the details."

"That is something I doubt will ever happen. Randy doesn't look like the type of guy who would be willing to tell others the intimate details of his, most-likely, hectic past . . . He's probably in the kitchen right now smirking his ass off at how loyal you two are to him right at this moment." said Kelly as she shook her head.

Little did she know that Randy was indeed smirking his ass off in the kitchen, impressed that his two teammates weren't going to give in to the girls' prodding so easily. Then again, being able to keep a secret was a part of their mercenary training.

"No truer words have ever been spoken. Well, except for the whole Randy smirking his ass off thing. I have no idea if he's actually doing that or not," said Ted as he snuck a look down the hallway. "Anyway, sorry girls, you're not getting any details out of us."

"Not even if we tried to seduce you?"

"Not even if you tried to seduce us Kaitlyn," said Cody, his smug smirk still present on his face. "But if you still want to try, we won't stop you."

"How about if we bribed you instead?" asked Kelly.

"You can't put a bribe on us Kelly," said Ted, accompanying his statement with a strong shake of his head. "No matter how much you try to bribe us with your money, we won't go for it."

"Hmm . . . Then I guess you leave us no choice then," said Kaitlyn as she shook her head in disappointment. She then turned to Amanda, who was looking back at her with a stoic look that rivaled Randy's. "Amanda, you know I don't ask much from you, but would you mind-"

"I'm not going to stomp on Randy's privacy and invade his mind just so you can find out about certain aspects of his past," said Amanda, who was quite blunt with her response, almost protective in a way. "It's his business, not mine. If he wants to share his past with us, well, that's his decision. That's not a decision I plan to take away from him, whether you like it or not . . . And shame on you for even suggesting the idea in the first place Kaitlyn. Randy is here to protect us, and this is how you want us to repay him?"

"When you put it that way, that does make me feel guilty . . ." said Kaitlyn, her eyes looking slightly regretful. "Also, Randy is here to protect you Amanda. Kelly and I were just dragged along for the ride."

"You don't have to-" Amanda started to say, but stopped herself short as her head suddenly swiveled to face the front of the house. Her action instantly got the attention of everyone that was around her. Cody and Ted were instantly confused by this, but once they noticed the tense looks on Kelly and Kaitlyn's faces, they were instantly on high alert.

"Crap, whenever Amanda has that look on her face, trouble's usually close." grumbled Kelly as she walked back to the bedroom, passing Randy along the way.

"I thought you two secured the area." the Viper growled as he turned to Cody and Ted.

"We did . . . Well, I thought we did." mumbled Ted as he looked off to the side, averting his gaze from the taller man's intense one.

"They must have showed up after we did our round." Cody further added, his smug smirk now long gone from his face.

"They're actually about to show up, if you wanted me to be specific," said Amanda, her eyes looking distant while her voice was so low it was almost a whisper. "They're still a few miles up the road. Two black vans . . . Maybe 10, 11 guys in total . . . They'll be here in 12 minutes tops."

"How did you get all this exactly?" asked Ted, looking visibly impressed.

"Sometimes my brain will suddenly warn me of something that's about to happen by showing me a scene in my immediate future," said Amanda as she blinked her eyesight back into focus. "It's definitely saved my butt a few times in the past, I can tell you that."

"Have you been in this kind of predicament before?" Randy couldn't help but ask as Kaitlyn also disappeared into the bedroom.

"I've been in a few situations in the past, but none of them compare to what's been happening these past few days," said Amanda as her roommates came out with the bags in hand. "So, what's the plan Randy?"

"We move. We need to get out of here before those vans get here. This house is now compromised," said Randy as the group made their way over to the front door. "Amanda, in your vision, where exactly did the two vans park?"

"In the middle of the path that connects the house to the main road," said Amanda. "How is how they park important, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It means a lot, actually," said Cody as the group exited the house and stepped onto the porch. "In our line of work, if a group parks halfway between the road and the desired location, then that means they want to be close enough to their target without raising suspicion, while still being close enough to the road to make a quick getaway."

"When you put it that way, that makes perfect sense." said Kelly as the boys used their heightened speed to reach the cars before any of the girls can get to the bottom step.

"Cody, Ted, you two take Kaitlyn and Kelly in the Camaro. I'll take Amanda in the Hummer," Randy quickly ordered as he walked over to his car's driver side door. Cody quickly tossed him the keys, but before he could even unlock his door, he spotted Amanda looking at him from the passenger side with an unsure look on her face. "You're the main target Amanda, and I would rather keep you safe in my car, which was enhanced with a whole lot of protective measures might I add, than in yours, which may be badass, but is probably not as protected as my car."

"I guess you make a good point . . ." Amanda reluctantly admitted as she took out her keys and handed them off to a waiting Ted.

"Don't worry Amanda. We'll take good care of your precious car." said Ted, who looked a little too giddy for the psychic's comfort as he walked over to her car. Pushing that aside, she quickly threw her bag into the Hummer's backseat before joining Randy in the front. Randy turned on the engine and started driving before Amanda was completely settled, driving the car out of it's spot and down a dirt road that ran beside the house.

"Huh, so there's more than one way to get to this house . . ." Amanda mumbled as she looked back to see the Camaro following close behind them.

"You got that right," said Randy as he made a right turn. "This path will lead us to the single lane road that leads us back to the city. Hopefully, we won't run into the guys that are after you along the way."

"Are we going to another safe house within town? Or are we heading to a different city altogether?" Amanda couldn't help but ask as the car hit a bump in the road. She watched Randy's face, his brows scrunching together in mild thought as they continued to go downward along the windy path.

"I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," was all the Viper said as they finally reached the point where the dirt road crossed the paved road. "Where are those vans now?"

"They just reached the house. Two of them have just exited the vehicles to survey the area," said Amanda as she closed her eyes. "It won't take them long to find out we're not there anymore, or the fact that there's a second path that has car tracks visible on it running beside the house."

"Which means we need to maintain as much distance from them as we possibly can," the Viper stated matter-of-factly as he continued to apply pressure to the gas pedal, the car responding in earnest as it started going faster. "This bad boy may burn some serious rubber before this day is finally over."

"And hopefully we don't end up running into some kind of complication along the way . . . It would be so ironic that we'd get caught all because you got pulled over by a couple of cops for speeding." Amanda mumbled under her breath as she looked out at the scenery around them. Of course, with his sensitive hearing, Randy obviously heard her word for word.

"Who said I was going to pull over for a couple of cops?" Randy couldn't help but ask as he looked at her from the corner of his eye. "I'd rather leave them in my dust than pull over for them because they suspect me for speeding."

"You're not a fan of law enforcement are you?"

"I've had a couple of runs in with the police in my youth . . . Those experiences never ended well for me." said Randy as they conveniently drove past a police SUV that was parked on the side of the road, more so as if the cops inside the car were taking a little break rather than watching out for speeders. "Plus, when you're a mercenary, it's best to avoid any interaction with police at all cost . . . I bet you've never had a bad run in with the cops."

"Not really . . . My only interaction with a police officer was when this off-duty cop came up to me to ask for directions when I was in St. Louis. Apparently, he was there to visit his girlfriend as a surprise for her, but he had no idea where she worked." said the psychic as she smiled at the memory.

"Why were you in St. Louis?"

"I was visiting my mother," Amanda simply answered, complete with a small shrug. "St. Louis is my hometown."

"Really . . ." said Randy, slightly amazed that Amanda had such a connection to the city known for being the Gateway to the West. Little did she know that her vampire protector also called St. Louis the city of his birth.

"Yeah, really . . . It's best that we don't reflect on it now though. The goons have already left the house and are making their way out of the woods and back onto the road. It won't be long before they're really on our tails. Apparently, their vans are a lot faster than they appear."

"Well that's just great." Randy grumbled as he kept his eyes on the road. "Is the mental link between us still active?"

"Yeah, but why do you ask?"

"I want you to expand it so that Kelly, Kaitlyn, Cody, and Ted are a part of it too. It'll make things easier, and a whole lot less _traceable_, if we could all talk mentally instead of through a phone."

"Hmm, good call," said Amanda, her tone sounding quite agreeable as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She quieted her mind before locking on to the four minds that were traveling behind them in the Camaro. She stretched her mind to theirs, connecting them together with only the slightest of mental strain. _"Earth to the four people driving in my Camaro. Testing, one, two, three. This is your resident psychic mentally speaking. Please respond so that I know that the connection between us is successful."_

"_I feel so invaded . . ."_

"_You and me both Ted. You and me both."_

"_Oh shut up you nimrods."_

"_Yeah, you tell em Kelly. I'm sure Amanda has a perfectly good reason for suddenly putting us in a telepathic group chat . . . You do have a good reason for it, right?"_

"_Indeed I do Kaitlyn," _thought Amanda as she turned to the waiting Viper with a bemused smirk on her face. "Alright, we're all connected. You are free to speak your mind to them whenever you see fit."

"Good," said Randy. _"Okay, listen up you guys. Amanda said that the goons that are on our tail are coming and their coming quick."_

"_Looks like it didn't take them long to figure things out." _said Kelly. _"What should we do now then? Keep driving till we give them the slip?"_

"_Maybe we should head to a high traffic area. It would be hard for them to follow us through a lot of traffic," _suggested Kaitlyn. _"Then again, it wouldn't be easy to make a quick getaway on our part . . . Cody, do you think you can slow them down with one of your illusions?"_

"_I need to see who exactly we're dealing with and be near enough to plant the illusion into their subconscious for it to work. Also, who knows if my power will even work on them? Like how you put it before Kaitlyn: the dumber the person is, the more likely it'll work."_

"_Well that's one idea we can't go with . . ." _mumbled Randy as the road started to widen into two lanes. Suddenly, a look of realization came across the vampire's face as he turned to the psychic, her head bowed down low. _"Wait a minute, you're a psychic for crying out! Can't you do an illusion or some telekinesis like you did earlier?"_

"_If Amanda is planning to do some psychic finesse_ _on the guys that are chasing us, she better do it quick," _Ted warned. _"Because I see them pulling up in the rearview mirror right now."_

Randy's eyes widened when he heard this. He quickly turned his head to see two black vans driving less than a quarter mile behind them. The troubling thing about them was that there was absolutely no sound coming from them, as if they were dark ghosts coming to haunt them.

"_Shit! They got here sooner than I thought!" _Randy grumbled as he latched his free hand onto Amanda's shoulder. He then started shaking it to get her attention. _"Amanda, this is not the time for falling asleep! We need your powers right now."_

But Amanda never responded to his plight. She remained still, completely undisturbed by Randy's actions as she continued to look down at her lap, her hair hiding her face.

"_Randy, what's going on over at your end?"_

"_It's Amanda, Cody. She's not responding at all. I don't know if she just froze up or ended up unconscious somehow."_

"_Well then, shake her awake! That usually get's the job done." _

"_I am shaking her Ted, but's it not working so far. She's completely out of it . . . Hold up, wait a minute, it looks like she's finally coming to." _said Randy as he the woman began to stir. "Dammit Amanda, was it really necessary for you to take a power nap during a dire situation here? We got two vans on our asses, with people inside them after you, and you're off in no man's land, day-"

Randy cut himself off, a cold chill suddenly going up his spine as Amanda eerily raised her she turned her head to face him, a breath got caught in the Viper's throat as he looked at the cold, scarlet red eyes of the woman before him, the color blue long gone from her sight. Before he could manage to say anything about it, Amanda outstretched her hand toward the back of the car. She suddenly closed her fist, an action Randy didn't understand, until the screeching and sudden crash behind them got his attention.

He slowed the car to a stop and turned his head to see that the two vans had crashed into each other in a sudden fender bender. The back of the front van and the front of the back van showed serious damage, but it wasn't enough to stop them from still being mobile.

This didn't sit well with the psychic as she let out a disgruntled snarl. As if she was swatting away a pair of mosquitos, she waved her hand to side-to-side in a sweeping motion, sending the vans hurtling off the road and into the nearby trees. Both ended up wrapping around the trees, being bent as far as they could go by an invisible force commandeered by the psychic. It no doubt crushed all the occupants inside, their tortured screams echoing out the mangled monstrosities as it finally fell to the ground, now shaped into crushed, bloody husks. It was definitely a grisly sight.

"Damn . . . what the fuck did we just watch?!" exclaimed Cody. Randy turned his head to see that somehow, during the macabre scene that was going on behind them, the others had pulled up beside the Hummer, all of them looking as shocked as he felt. "Did, did Amanda do that?"

"Yeah . . . she did," mumbled the Viper as he turned to the woman to see a different sight before him. Instead of the cold red eyes he encountered just minutes prior, Amanda's head was leaning against the window, her eyes now closed as her breathing became even. "If you were expecting to get any answers from her, you're going to have to wait a while. She just fell asleep."

"It's probably for the best . . ." mumbled Kaitlyn, her face looking quite startled. "We don't want to waste any more time on the road than we have to. Mr. S most likely has more connections coming for us than the the guys Amanda just crushed."

"Kaitlyn's right . . . We need to keep moving," said the Viper, his face going back to its default expression of no emotion. He quickly put the pedal to the medal and drove the Hummer along, but he couldn't stop himself from sneaking one long look at the slumbering psychic.

"_And as for you Amanda, you have some serious explaining to do."_

**Please review!**


	17. Service Station

**Sorry this update took so long. Finals week, holidays, and my birthday really took up my time.**

* * *

Chapter 17: Service Station

"Well now . . . The psychic definitely knows how to retaliate when it comes down to it."

The owner of the voice spoke those words as he leaned against the hood of his black Jeep, his eyes scanning the scene before him with quiet interest. He took in the carnage before him, letting his eyes move from one destroyed van to the other, taking note of some of the mangled body parts that somehow littered the road.

"So much for them reporting back to me in their progress," the man mumbled as he moved off the hood and walked back over to the driver side door. His phone started ringing as soon as he got himself strapped into his seat. "Hello, this is Punk. Speak now or else I'll hang up on your sorry ass."

"Must you be so crass when you address me Mr. Punk?" said the man on the line, his voice sounding half-annoyed, and half-amused. "Usually my underlings show me a lot more respect than what you are showing me right now, or at any time I speak to you."

"That's true, but I thought our relationship progressed so much that we were past the typical superior/underlings dynamic Mr. S." said Punk as a smirk appeared on his face. Mr. S remained silent after that one. "Cat got your tongue on that one hmm . . . Anyway, you don't usually call me unless it's important, so, what do you have to tell me now?"

"What's your progress on capturing the psychic?"

"Blunt, and straight to the point. That's just your style." said Punk as his smirk died away. "I'll be honest, it's not going too well right now. I just found the two teams I sent after them dead, crushed, and wrapped around a couple of trees, with some arms and legs scattered around here and there . . . The girl did quite the number on them, that's for sure."

"What you are witnessing is the effects of her great, and yet, still largely untapped, power Mr. Punk," said Mr. S, who sounded pleased, despite the apparent setback. "A power that will soon be mine in good time . . . You haven't lost track of the psychic and her little group did you?"

"Tracking is one of my specialties," said Punk as he turned the key in the ignition, bringing his car back to life. "I lose no one. The girl will be yours, in time. You just have to be a little more patient with me."

"Should I be patient because you know it's going to take you awhile to get the girl, or is it because you have some kind of unfinished business with members of her _security detail_? I've heard through the grapevine that you and Mr. Orton have a bit of a history."

"Don't you worry about my issues with Randy Orton. Sure, we have a complicated past with each other, but I assure you, what happened between us will not interfere with the main mission, well, _too _much. I will personally make sure that Amanda Evans will be safely in your grasp before I really handle my business with Orton."

"I'll keep you to your word Punk. Keep me updated on your progress."

Punk simply shook his head as the line went dead. He dropped his phone into one of the cup holders before continuing down the road, passing the wreckage with little thought as he kept moving forward.

* * *

**x~X~x~X~x**

"How long are you going to stay asleep woman?" the Viper mumbled under his breath as he snuck a look at the still sleeping woman right next to him. Amanda had been asleep ever since her sudden 'outburst' earlier in the day, but as the sun disappeared behind the horizon and the moon started to appear in its place, the psychic still showed no signs of waking up anytime soon. "You may as well be dead to the world at this rate . . ."

Randy was contemplating whether to just shake the girl awake or not when his phone started to go off in his pocket. He quickly took it out with his free hand and tapped the green phone symbol before dropping it into the cup holder. "Yeah Cody, what do you want?"

"We have been driving for hours now Randy. Are we planning to stop anytime soon for the night, or are we going to keep driving on with no end in sight?" asked Cody. "And how's Amanda? Is she finally awake yet?"

"Nope, she's still asleep," said the Viper as he snuck a quick look at the sleeping woman. "As for stopping, for now, we're going to drive through the night. The next service station is only three miles away from us. We'll stop there for gas and food before moving forward. The stop should also give Kaitlyn and Kelly ample time to stretch their legs for a bit."

"And what about Amanda?"

"I'll wake her up once we get to the station. She'll need to eat and stretch her legs too."

"Alright then . . . Randy, if you don't mind, we're going to drive ahead to the service station. The girls really need to use the bathroom." said Cody, a sound of agreement following after him, the sound high enough that it was most likely coming from either one of the girls.

"Fine, Amanda and I will meet you guys there." said Randy as he ended the call. His ears perked up at the sound of an engine suddenly getting louder, and he turned his head just in time to see the others in the Camaro zoom right by him and down the highway, Ted laughing it up from his spot in the back-passenger seat. Randy couldn't help but chuckle at that as he increased the pressure his foot had on the gas, making sure to not lose sight of them too much.

The journey to the service station was a short one. The two cars drove up the exit lane and into the station's parking lot. They managed to find parking spots side-by-side at the far end of the lot. Once he had his car parked, Randy cut the engine before turning to Amanda, who was still very much asleep.

"Here goes nothing," the vampire mumbled as he brought a hand to her shoulder and started to gently shake her awake. "Amanda, wake up . . . C'mon, wake up woman! You've slept for long enough now."

Another minute passed before Randy finally got Amanda to wake up. He removed his hand just as she started to come to; her eyelids finally fluttering open as she raised her head up with a sleepy expression on her face. Randy was quick to notice that the woman's eyes were back to their regular deep blue, the scarlet red he saw earlier now no longer in sight.

"Damn . . ." she mumbled as she started to wipe the sleep from her eyes. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"You've been out of it for a good part of the day," said the Viper as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "C'mon, you need to stretch, get some movement back into your legs."

Amanda shot him a small look before following his lead. She unbuckled her seatbelt and followed Randy out of the car before joining the others by the Camaro. All of them looked a little wary of her as she approached them, which didn't go unnoticed by the model.

"Why are you guys looking at me like I'm about to attack you all?" asked Amanda as she flexed her arms out to get the feeling back into them.

"Well, your behavior earlier in the day was a little shocking. Effective, but shocking," said Cody as he crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes widened when he noticed the curious look that was starting to appear in her eyes. "What? You don't remember what you did today?"

"I remember my go-see and stopping at the safe-house, but whatever happened after that is a bit of a blur," she stated as she started flexing out her legs. "I'm guessing what happened after that was, well, quite eventful, to say the least."

"I'll say . . . Here, to save time, because I'm very hungry right now, I'll let you look directly into my head to see what happened rather than have us confusedly explain it by word," said Kaitlyn as she walked over to the taller girl, grabbed her hand, and placed it right on her forehead. Everyone shared an amused look with each other at the Texan's antics, but she ignored them all as she closed her eyes. Amanda quickly followed suit, but she reopened them a minute later, her eyes conveying her shock at what she just saw.

"Damn . . . I did a number on those guys, and I don't even remember it one bit." the psychic mumbled as she dropped her hand from her friend's face.

"Has that ever happened to you before?" asked Ted as Kaitlyn backed away until she was at his side.

"If it ever had, I don't remember it," she mumbled as an unsure look appeared on her face. "Do you . . . Do you guys think that what happened to me today could be the reason Mr. S is after me?"

"Possibly, but we can talk about it later." said Randy, as another car drove into the lot.

"Randy's right . . . We freshen up and eat something, then we talk about your weird 'power'." said Kelly as she started walking down the row of cars. Ted, Cody, and, Kaitlyn all followed right after her, leaving Randy and Amanda to bring up the rear. Randy split his gaze between what was ahead of him and the woman right next to him, who was paying more attention to the ground than what was ahead of them, most likely deep in thought. When they finally reached the station, the girls made a beeline for the bathroom, leaving the guys to wait for them a few feet away from the door.

"Alright, the girls will probably be in there for quite a while, so we may as well start talking about our game plan now," said Ted as he leaned against the wall. "So, what's our next step?'

"Well, staying in one spot for a long time is not going to help us," said Randy as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Mr. S will eventually notice that the men he sent after us haven't reported to him yet, well, if he hadn't already. Once he knows that something's amiss, there's no doubt more of his goons will be, or already on, our tails."

"In other words, we're going to have to keep moving, no matter what," said Cody as he scratched the back of his head. "If we do have to stop, we would have to make our pit stops short and make sure we don't leave any trails. I'm sure this Mr. S will have someone under his employment that could use tracking spells if the opportunity presents itself."

"Like those who could use tracking spells, or maybe natural trackers like werewolves," suggested Ted. "They would be on our asses right now if that is the case."

"In other words, the faster we finish here, the faster we can leave," mumbled Randy as he snuck a look at the girl's bathroom door. When there was still no sign of them emerging, Randy turned back to his partners. "Well, depending on how much longer the girls are planning to stay in there freshening up."

"Truer words have never been said," said Cody as Ted shook his head in agreement. "So then, Randy, do you really think what Amanda displayed earlier today could be the reason why she's being sought after in the first place?'

"The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning toward that conclusion," said Randy. "Look, I think we all can agree that Amanda is one of the most powerful psychics we've ever met in a long time. Today pretty much proved that. It's pretty much the only reason for it at this point."

"So, you don't think Mr. S is after her for her looks?"

"Really Ted?" Cody bluntly asked as he and Randy both glared at their fellow vampire. "That was the conclusion you came up with?"

"What? You got to admit it! Amanda is very much a beautiful woman. I can see why she's lasted so long in the modelling industry," said Ted, now on the defense. "C'mon, I bet both of you were thinking about it at least one."

"You can be so annoying sometimes Ted," Cody mumbled as he snuck another look at the bathrooms. "But yes, the thought has occurred to me, once or twice before."

"See!?" said Ted as he pointed a finger at Cody, but then his gaze went straight to the taller man. "And what about you Ran? I'm sure you thought 'some kind of way' in regards to Amanda at least once before since we first met her, right?"

Randy remained silent, choosing to shoot Ted a warning glance as his only response to him, but Ted didn't appear to get the message.

"Ted, are you really that serious?" grumbled Cody as he smacked the back of his head. "Are you really going to start this line of questioning, knowing very well about Randy's troubled relationship history?"

"Did you just call my relationship history 'troubled'?"

Cody froze at how cold the Viper's voice suddenly sounded, and was afraid to look in to the man's eyes, not wanting to see the anger that was apparent within them. Before he could even answer him, he felt a pair of hands suddenly clamp down on his shoulders. It shocked him so much that he almost jumped out of his shoes, but when he recognized the smell, and realized that the hands felt too soft to be Randy's own, he relaxed and turned his head to see Kaitlyn smirking at him, with Amanda and Kelly standing right behind her.

"Are we interrupting something?" Amanda asked as she stared at each man's face intently, her eyes lingering on Randy's stone cold one the longest.

"Actually, you guys arrived just in time," said Ted as he wrapped an arm around Cody's shoulder, completely amused at the interaction Cody and Randy just had before the girls arrived. "C'mon, let's get something to eat, shall we?"

Ted, and a relieved Cody, led the group further into the hall, but Amanda hung back with the quiet Randy, whose face had softened a little bit over the course of the conversation.

"Randy . . ." Amanda asked as she tugged of Randy's sleeve to get his attention. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," he simply stated. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, it looked like whatever Cody said to you, well, struck a nerve." said the psychic as she snuck a look at the back of said vampire's head.

"You can say that again . . ." grumbled the vampire as he stuck his hands into his pockets. "How much of the conversation did you and the girls hear?"

"We got out of the bathroom just in time to hear you ask Cody about your so called 'troubled' relationship history," Amanda admitted. Randy stopped in his tracks when he heard this, and Amanda did as well, her hands going up in surrender. "Don't give me one of your ice cold looks Mr. You asked the question. I answered it as honestly as I could. Simple as that."

"I know what I asked . . . I just didn't expect you to speak so honestly," said Randy, his answer startling Amanda a little. "What? I figured you would, at least, fudge the truth a little."

"You thought I would partly lie when I answered you?" she asked with a surprisingly amused look on her face. "As if that was possible. Naturally, your kind can tell when a person is lying, just from listening to one's heartbeat. So, what's the point of 'fudging the truth' when you can hear my heart and figure out I'm not being truthful with you in the first place? Might as well be honest with you from the get go because lying to you isn't going to work that well if you ask me."

"It's official, you are definitely one of the smartest people I've ever encountered on a mission."

"Oh really?" the psychic asked, amused at the mercenary's sudden statement. "I hope you're not just saying that just to throw it out there."

"Trust me. I don't make statements likely. You really are one of the smartest people I've ever met on a mission," Randy declared as the two walked past a family that was idling by a souvenir stand. "Most people I come across usually lie to me or keep things from me that I should know. Knowing that you plan to be truthful and straightforward with me definitely helps make this mission a lot smoother."

"Well, you do have this sense of intimidation about you. I can see why others in your past weren't as truthful with you as they could have been." Amanda suggested as she crossed her arms over her chest. Randy smirked at that, but it quickly went away when he spotted Ted and Cody giving him funny looks at the entrance of a pizzeria. "Something wrong?"

"Nah, but I think the others found a good place for dinner. C'mon."

The two picked up their pace and made their way over to the pizzeria. Amanda bypassed Ted and Cody to get to Kelly and Kaitlyn, both of whom were standing by the counter looking at the pizzas on display. Randy hung back with his team, and from the looks he was getting from them, he knew that they wanted some answers from him.

"What?" he questioned as he looked at the two. "What's with the damn looks you're shooting my way?"

"Oh nothing . . ." said Cody, as a small smirk appeared on his face. "It's just that we just saw something that we thought we wouldn't see for a long time, a _very_ long time."

"And what would that be?"

"You flirting with a girl." said Ted, his voice as blunt as it could possibly be as he stared the taller man down. Randy's eyes narrowed at that, but Ted didn't back down. "What? From where we were standing, it looked like you were having a little flirt fest with the girl."

"You guys were looking quite close to each other on your way over here," added Cody. "And to be honest, you're not usually this chatty with people, whether it's us, our co-workers, or any other people we come across."

"Instead of paying attention to our surroundings to make sure that the coast is clear and we're not being followed by anyone, you pay attention to me talking to the girl we're supposed to be protecting," the Viper mumbled as he brought a hand to his chin. "Is it going to be like this with you guys for the entire mission?"

"Not really."

"Only when you look like you're talking to Amanda as if you are interested in her," added Ted as Cody walked further inside, his face softening just a little bit. "You're thawing out man. It's a nice change for you. Keep it up."

Randy looked at Ted with a slightly perplexed look on his face as he walked over to Cody and the girls, his mind thinking over the last few words he spoke to him before he moved. _Do I really appear that cold to people? _he thought. _Wait a minute: When I talk to Amanda, do I really look like I'm interested in her?_

His eyes went straight to the girl in question as she joined the others in a booth in a far corner of the pizzeria, her blue eyes on the slim cardboard box in Cody's hands. When she turned her head, his eyes met hers, and a sudden pang erupted in his chest. It was sudden, and it left as quickly as it first appeared. However, Randy didn't dwell on it for long, as he caught sight of the others gesturing for him to join them, which he quickly did.

"Alright, we have one large supreme pizza to split up among the six of us. The pizza is split into eight slices, so two of us will end up with the extras," said Cody as he opened the box. "I suggest that the two extras go to the two people who finish their first slice the fastest. Anyone disagrees?"

"I think that's a sound idea that everyone can agree on," Kaitlyn suggested as she rubbed her hands together. "Now let's eat! I'm starving, and by the way, one of the extra slices will be mine. Mine!"

"We shall see about that!" challenged Ted, who grabbed his slice of pizza with gusto. As the two of them started their very own impromptu eating contest, Cody and Kelly started eating their pizza calmly while eyeing their friends, just to make sure that neither of them choked on their food. Amanda held up her pizza in order to allow the grease to drain out when she noticed Randy brooding from the corner of her eye, not even moving to grab a slice for himself.

"Randy, why aren't you grabbing a slice?" she asked, nudging him to get his attention. "Is something wrong? You don't like supreme pizza?"

He raised his head, his eyes going straight to the others, who were paying more attention to the eating contest than to them. He then turned to Amanda, but when he locked eyes with her again, the same pang he felt earlier erupted in him once again, this time so much fiercer than the first one that it almost made him wince. It lingered for a moment before disappearing, and the Viper ended up ripping his gaze away from the psychic's own, thinking the weird pangs he was feeling would happen again if he continued to look at her too long.

"I'm fine . . ." he managed to say, hoping the conviction was there in his voice. He never noticed the unsure look that crossed Amanda's face, because it disappeared as soon as he turned back to face her, though his eyes looked past her rather than at her. "I'm okay . . . You don't have to worry about me."

He said those words like it was the easiest thing in the world, but even he didn't believe the words he spoke.

**Please review!**


	18. Car Ride

**A/N: Sorry about the wait! College really takes a lot of time away from my writing. But anyway, the Hardys' are back, Randy's champ again, and I've finally finished this chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 18: Car Ride

The rest of the meal ended up being quite the chatty affair, with Ted and Kaitlyn doing most of the talking, with the occasional input here and there courtesy of Cody and Kelly. Amanda listened more than she talked, and Randy remained quiet for the entire meal, busying himself with his pizza slice while keeping vigilant of their surroundings. When they were all done, they quickly cleaned up and dumped their trash before making their way to the exit, and as they walked, the group got some curious looks from the other patrons, most notably by some of the female travelers.

"Hmm, it looks like some of these girls, and the occasional guy, are checking our boys out." said Kaitlyn, a small smirk playing on her face as she walked next to Kelly, her eyes dancing with mischief.

"I guess they think the boys are actually good looking then." mumbled Kelly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"And we're not?" asked Ted, his smile bordering on childish as he lead the group out the door and into the cool night air. "To be frank, I think the stares are justified . . . I know I look wonderful."

"You didn't look too wonderful when you were stuffing your face with pizza minutes ago," Kelly said right back as they stepped off the curb and into the lot. "Your face . . . God, I wish I had taken a picture of it."

"Cause you wanted to keep a picture of me to preserve me in your memories?"

"More like she wanted to take an embarrassing photo of you to use for blackmail for all eternity, or to just post it online for all of social media to see." suggested Cody, who was walking right next to Ted. Ted gave him an annoyed look for that one, but Cody simply pressed on. "What? You know either idea is possible."

"Kelly wouldn't do that to me!" exclaimed Ted as he vehemently shook his head. "With the line of work we do, it would be detrimental, absolutely _devastating_, if I had my face blasted all throughout social media! As for the blackmail, I could always erase the evidence without her noticing."

"I would say that saying something like what you just said is absolutely dumb of you considering I'm right behind you, but since you are both stronger and faster than me, I'll just stay quiet and give you this disapproving stare." said Kelly. She then proceeded to shoot Ted her patented 'Stare of Disapproval', complete with a complimentary shake of her head. Ted scowled while Kaitlyn and Cody laughed at his expense.

As for Randy and Amanda, they were bringing up the rear of the group, both of them silent as they listened to the others conversing. Randy was back to his stoic self, keeping his eyes forward, the slight movement of his blue pupils indicating that he was keeping watch of the surrounding area. Amanda also kept her eyes forward, but she would sneak looks at the taller man by her side on occasion, mainly out of slight concern.

They eventually reached the cars, with Randy and Amanda returning to the Hummer, and the others going back to Amanda's Camaro. Once both vehicles' gas tanks were filled at the nearby gas station, they were back on the road, with the Hummer in the lead. For the next twenty minutes, Amanda and Randy drove in an uncomfortable silence, as if there was some elephant in the room, or car, in this case. Eventually, Amanda couldn't take it any longer.

"You weren't one for conversation tonight . . ." the psychic mumbled as she looked out her window. "Cat got your tongue Randy?"

"Nope, I just have something on my mind," said the vampire as he kept his eyes forward. "You don't have to worry about me . . . What about you? You weren't talking much during dinner either."

"It was hard to really add any input when Ted and Kaitlyn pretty much hijacked the entire conversation," was all she said as she leaned her head back against the headrest. "Plus, I guess I really wasn't in the mood for speaking in the first place."

"Hmm, and why is that?"

"When you start thinking about how you wasted a group of mercenaries like it was nothing, and then you don't remember a thing about it afterward . . . it makes you less willing to jump into any conversation." said Amanda, her voice solemn.

"Look, from what I've seen so far, the idea of being threatened by those guys in the vans must have set something off in your brain, thus causing your demeanor to revert into this . . . 'other' you, one that, apparently, shows no mercy if she is being threatened," Randy calmly explained. "And that other you could very well be the reason you're so sought after."

"What I don't get is why did this 'other' me make her appearance when we were being chased by those vans and not when we encountered that Punk guy at the fake go-see prior to that. . ." the model grumbled as she loosely crossed her arms over her chest. "Am I really just that unconsciously selective?"

"Some people do say that women can be quite picky," said Randy, resulting in a hard slap to his shoulder, courtesy of the psychic. "Hey, hey, I'm trying to protect you here. You trying to hurt me is not helping."

"As if me hitting your arm could actually affect you," said Amanda, a small smirk now dotting her face. "You didn't even visibly flinch when I made contact for crying out loud. I could put all my strength behind one hit, and it still wouldn't make you react in the slightest."

"Okay, you got me there . . ." said Randy. "That hit you dealt me didn't hurt one bit. I only reacted just for show."

"My pride thanks you."

Amanda's annoyed, and slightly monotonic, delivery of her sentence resulted in a sudden chuckle from the vampire. The woman couldn't help but smile at this, seeing that it was one of the very few times Randy loosened up since they first met. She found herself taking a liking to his deep, throaty chuckle, and soon made a mental note to find more ways to make him laugh more in the future, just so she could hear him laugh again.

"It's good to know the misery I feel for not being able to deal you an actual hit that you can take seriously gives you great joy on this dark night." Amanda continued on, simply just for kicks.

"Thanks. . . I needed that," said Randy, a small smirk now gracing his face. "Anyway, we're not stopping anywhere for the night, so why don't you just kick back and get some sleep huh?"

"I've slept for most of the afternoon already. I think I can stay awake for a couple more hours, give or take," the psychic said rather confidently as she stared at the road. "Besides, won't you get bored driving for hours on end without someone to talk to?"

"Not really . . . I'm very used to doing things for hours on end in complete silence," said Randy. "Being a mercenary has given me plenty of experience in the silence department."

"Oh yes . . . one must be absolutely quiet when sent out to kill enemies and gather information . . . Must be one of the fundamentals you learn in mercenary school huh?"

"It probably would be, if there was such a thing as 'mercenary school'."

"Then how did you learn all your skills then?" Amanda was quick to ask. "Someone must have taught you all you know."

"Yeah, someone did," said Randy, his eyes now looking a little distant. "My dad was the one that taught me most of what I know today."

"Your father was a mercenary too?"

"He wasn't really a mercenary per se . . . He served as a bodyguard for the leader of the largest coven in the southern U.S. His main priority was to protect the coven head and her family at all costs, so yeah, he had to kill when necessary . . ." said Randy. ". . . And he was very good at his job."

"Was that how he met your mom?"

"Well that question just completely came out of left field . . ." mumbled the Viper, his face showing a little bit of shock. "Where did this come from?"

"I figured I'd just ask for the sake of it," said the psychic, her shoulders going up and down in a quick shrug. "You don't have to answer of course. You're assigned to protect me, not to tell me all about your personal background. . . I'm sorry if the question went a little too far for your liking."

"Oh no, I wasn't _offended _by your question. I was just taken a little off guard by it . . . And to answer your question, yeah, that was how my dad met my mom . . . Actually, my mom is a member of the family that my father had to guard."

"Aw . . . Your father fell in love on the job."

"You're not going to get all sappy on me, are you?" Randy grumbled as he snuck a look at her from the corner of his eye. Amanda simply pouted in response. "Yeah, my dad fell love on the job, but it wasn't an easy time for him."

"Let me guess . . . Your mom wouldn't give your dad the time of day?"

"Well . . . yeah. They absolutely hated each other when they first met because my dad didn't show her the proper respect that she deserved. My dad would have avoided her at all cost if it wasn't for the fact that he was assigned to be her personal bodyguard most of the time," Randy calmly explained, his eyes hinting at his amusement. "But they grew to like each other, and then . . . they became mates."

"Mates . . . Like soulmates?" Amanda asked. "Huh, why do I feel as if there is a difference between soulmates and the whole 'boyfriend-girlfriend, husband-wife' dynamic?"

"Because there is a difference, but I won't say anything else on the matter," said Randy. "You know, you are very talkative tonight. What's got into you?"

"Why are you avoiding my question?" she asked right back. "What? You don't like that I'm making you talk this much? You don't like the hot seat sir?"

"Why are you suddenly curious to know so much about vampire relationships?"

"You're avoiding my question again."

"I know . . ." said the Viper as he watched as the others passed them by in the Camaro. Amanda shot him a not-so-amused look before lying back in her chair and closing her eyes, giving the vampire some semblance of peace as he continued to drive. . .

. . . But then that semblance of peace was broken once his phone started to ring from inside his pants' pocket.

"You're gonna get that right?" mumbled Amanda, one eye open and watching as Randy stuffed his hand into his pocket and pulled out the device in question.

"You see me with my phone in hand, don't you?" he grumbled right back as he pressed the green phone icon on the screen before bringing the device to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey Randy," said a chipper, masculine voice from the other end, one that the vampire was quick to recognize. "I hope this isn't a bad time."

"Oh no, it's never a bad time for you John," said Randy, sarcasm lacing his tone. "So, what can I do for you on this dark, windy night?"

"It's more like what I can do for you old friend," said John, his voice sounding more resigned. "I've been looking into both the Romanian coven and the mercenary cell that's so interested in the girl you and the others are protecting."

"Did you find anything useful?"

"I'm still struggling to find more info on the connection between the Romanians and the cell itself, specifically on _who _in the coven is pulling the cell's strings. However, I did find out a little something on the cell's previous activities before coming stateside."

"Like what?" asked Randy, his curiosity now piqued.

"Let's just say Amanda isn't the first psychic to hit this cell's radar," said John. "According to these reports I have in my hand, the cell has been in the business of psychic hunting for the past few weeks now."

"Psychic hunting?" the Viper grumbled, his words instantly getting Amanda's attention. "Have they been looking for Amanda for all this time?"

"Not really . . . Amanda has only been on their radar for only the past few days. Apparently, the cell has been hunting down certain psychics that they're assigned to apprehend and capture by someone within the coven. When the psychic is eventually captured, he or she is never heard from again."

"That's not good . . . Is there something specific that connects all the psychics together?" asked Randy, who noticed that Amanda was practically leaning her head toward him just so she could hear John better. He quickly put the call on speaker, earning him a grateful look from her in return. "Well, besides them being psychic and all."

"I haven't found that out yet, but I will, eventually. I have also tried to look into Punk's past from when he left the organization to today - sorry, nothing on that front yet."

"Keep looking John. If there's anyone I know that's persistent enough to keep on searching for something important, it's you," said Randy, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Oh yes . . . I can't wait to spend another late night doing you a favor and slaving over the computer searching for information you need, knowing very well that with each minute I stay here at work, I'm staying away from my usually pleasant girlfriend, who's only going to get more and more irritated the longer I'm away."

"My favor is effectively pulling you away from your date night, isn't it?"

"Really? It is? I haven't noticed . . ." said John, in the most sarcastic tone he could possibly muster, which managed to earn him a loud chuckle from the psychic on Randy's left. "Hold up . . . Randy, do you have me on speaker?"

"Yep; Amanda was trying to listen in, and since this whole mess involves her, I figured why not," said Randy, saying it as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "Anyway, just call it a night for now and continue when you come back from your date. You can blame me for this one, no questions asked."

"Hm, don't worry, I plan to. G'night Randy. G'night Amanda," and then the line went dead.

"You think his girlfriend will accept the excuse?" Amanda couldn't help but ask as Randy ended the call from his end before putting his phone back into his pocket.

"She will. John's girlfriend Nikki is actually a very patient woman, and I have been his excuse for the plenty of times he's been late to his dates for years now. It's nothing new to me," he told her with a smirk as the two locked eyes, and that's when another pang erupted in his chest, making him visibly wince this time around. Amanda noticed the change of face and was about to react to it, but Randy held a hand up to silence her. "Don't worry. It's nothing bad. I'm used to it."

"You are practically lying through your teeth right now," Amanda mumbled as she turned away from him. Randy knew that what she said was the truth and tried to explain himself, but stopped himself when the sounds of a blaring siren echoed from somewhere behind them. "Well this is unneeded . . . Have you been going past the speed limit?"

"Nope; I'm driving at the speed limit, right on the dot." said Randy, his explanation now long forgotten as the officer behind them signaled for him to pull over. "Can you look into the cop's head for me to see why he's pulling us over?"

"Hmm . . . You apparently left your turning signal light on, plus he spotted you with your phone in hand. He's definitely an older guy, but man does he have some keen eyes." Amanda said with a smirk as Randy rolled his eyes. "What are you going to do?"

"We can't have this cop slow us down. The others are already way ahead of us as is," the Viper grumbled as he started to pull the car over. "We're going to handle this quickly. Once I lock eyes with this cop, I'm going to use a compulsion on him to look the other way. While this is happening, I need you to use your powers, to watch over the area. I don't want any surprises coming our way."

"On it boss!" said the psychic as the Hummer came to a complete stop. As Amanda started to do a mind scan around the surrounding area, Randy waited patiently for the officer to walk over from his cruiser. When he heard a tapping sound coming from his window, he turned his head to see the police officer in all his uniformed glory staring right at him. He looked to be in his mid-50s, and his face told Randy that he was definitely all business.

"Yes officer?" he politely asked as he rolled his window down.

"License and registration please." said the officer, his voice raspy. Randy could easily smell the tobacco lingering on his breath. "You've left your turning signal on, and I spotted you talking on your phone. That's two strikes against you sir."

"I understand. Can you just give me a minute? My license is in my wallet and my registration is in the glove compartment." said Randy. The officer simply nodded his head, and Randy quickly moved to gather his things. When he was done, he almost gave his papers over, but as soon as he locked eyes with the officer, he knew he had him. "Gotcha!"

"Make it quick."

"Why?" Randy asked Amanda, not bothering to turn away from the officer or else he would break his hold on his compulsion.

"It's that Punk guy from earlier. He's a couple miles away and closing in." Amanda said flatly. "At the speed he's going at right now, it won't take him long to overtake us if we're still stuck here."

"Alright . . . Look here officer, you will walk back to your cruiser, be on your merry way, and forget that you ever stopped us. Do I make myself clear?"

"You have made yourself clear." said the officer, his voice flat. Randy didn't even let the man get to his car before he pulled away. As soon as he saw that the officer had cleared his Hummer, he got out of dodge and just started driving, and who could blame him.

. . . When you're being chased, you wait for nobody.

**Please review!**


	19. Creating Space

Chapter 19: Creating Space

"Okay, now that the police officer has been taken care of, what do we do now?" Amanda mumbled as they left the officer in their dust.

"For now, we got to create some distance between us and Punk. We may even have to take the nearest exit to throw him off the trail if he gets too close." said Randy as he snuck a look behind them to see that there were no cars following behind theirs.

"And the others?" asked the psychic as she brought a hand to her temple. "They're a few miles ahead of us right now, and they're getting further and further away by the second . . . Apparently, Ted really wanted to test my car's gas pedal."

"I'll have him pay you back in gas money," Randy grumbled as he spotted the next exit sign just to their right. "Text them that Punk is on our tail and that they should get off the highway at the next exit they see. We're going to do the same now."

"Alright then," Amanda responded as she took out her phone. As she texted Kelly, Randy turned the Hummer, driving it down the exit ramp toward a quiet intersection. There was an old, abandoned gas station across the street, but there was nothing else to be seen for miles around, except for grass. "And there's not a road marker to be seen."

"We would have to drive for quite a while in either direction before we'd see one, I guess . . . How far away is Punk now?"

"Um, two, maybe three miles give or take, and he's closing in fast. I'm trying to get into his head, but his thoughts are still sealed up tight. . . On the bright side, he's the only one that's tailing us."

"Wait, the _only_ one?" Randy asked, a little shocked at what she said as he turned the car left.

"Yeah, no one else is traveling with him in the car he's driving, and there's no other car around his . . . He's definitely alone." said Amanda, quickly taking note of the 'Aw crap!' expression that momentarily showed on the Viper's face. "Is it that bad that he's alone?"

"Well," Randy grumbled as he kept his eyes on the road. "Back when we were still co-workers, Punk was known for specializing in tailing his targets long-term before finally moving in for the direct hit. This is starting to stink of his m.o."

"How long does he usually follow his targets for?"

"He can easily keep tabs on his targets and follow them for months at a time. Last time I checked, he followed one target for _two full years _before ending him." said the Viper, Amanda's eyes widening in shock at his statement. "I hope that didn't scare you too much."

"Oh no; the idea of being followed everywhere I go while on the run for years on end is just naturally unsettling to me," she grumbled as she looked down at her lap. "Do you think that getting off the highway was enough to stop Punk from following us?"

"To be honest, not really," said Randy. "What about the others? Have they taken my advice and gotten off the highway yet?"

"Yeah, they did; Kelly just texted back that they just pulled off the highway via the first exit they saw," answered the psychic as she closed her eyes. "Punk's nearing the exit we just used."

"Keep track of him. Tell me if he moves off the highway."

As he said this, Randy put the pedal to the medal, driving the Hummer down the dark, winding road to create more distance between themselves and Punk. When he heard Amanda breathe out a sigh of relief, he took his foot off the gas just a smidge, not taking any chances.

"He's bypassed the exit we used, but I'm going to keep watching him until he gets out of my range." said Amanda. Randy simply nodded his head, inwardly glad that she was being proactive in their current situation. He was going to verbally state his approval at the plan when her phone's ringtone went off, the loud jingle echoing all throughout the cabin. "It's Kelly . . . Hello?"

"Hey, um, where are you guys?" asked Kelly, now via speakerphone. "The exit we took has led us to an empty road with nothing to see except for grass, wheat, and look, more grass."

"We're pretty much in the same boat, except I've managed to spot one farmhouse since we got off the highway," said the psychic as she leaned her head back on the headrest. "Look, I'm keeping track of Punk right now. He bypassed the exit we went down on, but it's still possible that he may go down the same exit you took."

"Which exit did you guys go down on anyway?" Randy added as he looked around to see if he could spot a sign, any sign.

"Exit 27," said Cody. "Where is Punk now exactly?"

"He just drove past Exit 26, and judging from the sign he just spotted, it won't be long till he's reached Exit 27," said Amanda, an irritated look evident in her eyes. "Randy, can you pull us to a stop, we're about to get out of my range."

"Okay, I'll pull up here." said Randy. "How close is Punk now?"

"Exit 27 is now in his sights," Amanda mumbled as Randy pulled the car just off the curb and onto a large patch of dry dirt. "He's turning his car onto the lane closest to the exit right now. He looks dead set on going down the exit."

"Well, that's just great!" The emotion in Ted's voice was clear; he did not like the situation one bit. "As long as he doesn't turn right as soon as he gets off the exit, we should be good."

"Too bad your wishful thinking didn't help you this time Ted," Amanda mumbled. Randy didn't like the dim tone her voice undertook. "Not only did Punk take the exit you guys took, he turned right as well, and now he just got out of my range so I can't track him any longer."

"Well, that's not good to hear." said Cody. "We're pretty far ahead of him now, but we'll need to get off this road and take a different route."

"But shouldn't we meet up and regroup?" asked Kaitlyn. "There is such a thing as 'strength in numbers' you know."

"You may have a point Kaitlyn, but when it comes to Punk, numbers don't really matter to him," Randy grumbled as he rubbed his hand across his head in frustration. "Look, you guys need to lose him before he gets too close. Once you've done that, meet us in Pittsburgh."

"Copy that Randy. We'll call back when we've reached the Pittsburgh city limits. See you guys there." was the last thing they heard Ted say before the line went dead, well, beside Kelly and Kaitlyn's verbal shock at the sudden change of plans.

"Why Pittsburgh?" Amanda suddenly asked as she placed her phone back into the bag. "I understand that we have to move around for my safety, but Pittsburgh is quite far away, don't you think?"

Randy didn't hesitate to answer. "Look, the reason why we're going to meet up with the others in Pittsburgh is because since Punk's the one that's tracking us, it's best if we get you into an area that he's not familiar with."

"Wait, are you saying that he's familiar with the entirety of the _Midwest_?" Amanda asked, coming very close to exclaiming her question rather than just asking it.

"Pretty much; Punk was born and raised in Chicago, and most of the missions he was sent on were focused within the Midwest. He has extensive knowledge of this part of the states, a knowledge that we wouldn't be able to overcome."

"So, by taking me out of the area where he has the advantage, you would even out the playing field once again." Amanda finished as she shook her head in understanding. "Well that makes sense . . ."

"I'm glad that you can see it my way," said Randy as he pulled the car back onto the road. However, things were not smooth sailing for long, for as soon as they drove another mile down the road, a loud _POP _was heard from somewhere underneath the car. Randy was not looking none too pleased as soon as the noise reverberated through his eardrums. "Aw shit . . ."

"So much for a vampire's eyesight being able to detect any and all details around them . . ." he heard the psychic mumble under her breath. Ignoring the comment, Randy pulled the Hummer over to the side of the road before getting out. When he looked toward the back, he saw a dark liquid running from a small pothole in the middle of the road toward his Hummer, which didn't help his mood one bit. "What happened; what did we hit?"

"A small pothole in the middle of the road. A part of the hole's edge juts up, and it must have cut into the gas tank. The Hummer is losing fluid, and fast," Randy grumbled as he walked toward the back. "I don't want to leave my car here, but we're basically sitting ducks the longer we linger here."

"You can't save the fuel tank, can you?" Amanda asked as she emerged from the car and joined him by the trunk.

"I could, but by the time I take out some duct tape and patch the hole up, all the fuel would be gone," said the Viper as he opened the trunk and grabbed their bags. "Plus, there's Punk to worry about, and I'm not taking any chances."

"Okay then, there's no sign of a car coming through here anytime soon, especially at this time of night, and there's no houses nearby with a car," Amanda mumbled as she hiked her purse strap over her shoulder before taking her duffle bag from Randy. "So, what do we do now?"

"Well, we'll walk up the road until we find a house with a car, and we'll go on from there." said Randy as he closed the trunk.

"And what about your Hummer? You're gonna ditch it just like that?"

"Don't worry. There's a contingency plan for that." said Randy.

"Why do I have the sudden feeling that what you have planned for your car isn't something that I would expect in the slightest?"

"Because it probably isn't," said Randy, a smirk now on his face as he gathered what he needed from the front of his car while she watched. "Let me guess: You believe that once we get far enough away from my car, I'll blow it up with just a tap of a finger on my phone's screen?"

"Well… uh, maybe," she grumbled as she started walking up the road. Randy could only look at her retreating form with a bemused expression on his face, successfully holding back a chuckle at her idea. He then locked up his car and set the alarm before jogging after her. "So, since my guess went nowhere, what do you have planned for your Hummer anyway?"

"I'm going to send a text to HQ so that they could send someone to retrieve it. All workers have to register one of their vehicles with the base, so all they have to do is track my Hummer down to this location, and then send a tow truck to pick it up," said Randy, speaking as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "If I text now, they could send a guy over first thing in the morning. By the time this mission's over, my Hummer will be good as new, waiting for me right in my driveway."

"Wow, that sounds so convenient . . . Tell me this: is your HQ's health coverage just as convenient as the auto repair?"

"Only if you're one of the HQ's top guys that is," said Randy, who was threatening to let out a small laugh at her statement but stopped himself just in time. "Trust me, if you had met me eight, nine years ago, things would be quite different. I would've actually had to blow up my car to make sure no traces were left."

"It seems your employer really upgraded itself over the years." said Amanda, her eyes scanning the surrounding area for any signs of a house.

"Yep; the place started out small with only a few assignments coming its way, but over the years, it grew. More workers, more recognition, more assignments, and more money came its way, and it ended up expanding and upgrading itself into a powerhouse in the mercenary business."

"So, how _exactly_ did you end up in the mercenary world in the first place? Did your dad kinda help pave your way or something?"

"My dad had nothing to do with my decision to become what I am today. The decision was all my own," said Randy, his voice hinting that he wasn't going to talk any longer on the subject. However, as soon as he saw the look on the psychic's face, he slightly softened his stance. "That conversation is for another day. Maybe I'll tell you about it some time, but for now, we need to look for transportation."

"Hold up a second. If I stretch my telepathy out, maybe I can get an indication of where the nearest house is."

"Why didn't you do that in the first place?"

"Because I wanted to make pleasant conversation with you first," was the sarcastic response that the psychic came up with. Randy was about to say a rebuttal, but stopped himself when he noticed the faraway look that came across the model's face.

Now that she was thoroughly distracted, with nothing else to do since he already sent off his text, Randy found himself studying her face, from her dark, cocoa-like skin tone to her high cheekbones. He noticed that her bottom lip was slightly fuller than the top lip and that she had a second piercing in the top part of her right ear. He was just about to take note of her nose when the familiar pang in his chest from earlier hit him again, the strongest one so far. He turned away from her, bringing a hand to his chest as he did.

"Hey, are you okay?" Amanda asked, now out of her mental scan. She looked him over, taking note of the grimace on his face and the hand over his chest.

"I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about." said Randy as he took a deep breath.

"I've noticed that something's been troubling you ever since we were at the rest stop earlier," Amanda mumbled as she shook her head. "And I have a good feeling that whatever is bugging you, the epicenter of it lies right in your chest."

"You've noticed?"

"Hell yeah I've noticed! I've noticed for a while, but I didn't say anything because you don't seem like the kind of person that likes to talk about their problems, especially if they're personal. You seem like you would rather keep things to yourself than talk to someone about it, but that's just my opinion. I don't really know you very well, so I can't really say anything."

"_Amanda may not know me very well, but damn she guessed right!" _Randy grumbled in his head, practically whispering his thoughts just in case she heard them unintentionally through their mental link. "_Sheesh, I don't need to say much, and boom, she can guess my different characteristics by just silently observing me . . . She would make a good mercenary with that kind of skill."_

"You're right. I'm not the kind of person that likes to talk about their problems with others, and I know what's going on with me may worry you a little, but trust me, you have nothing to worry about. It'll pass with time," said Randy. He hoped his tone of voice would signal that he was okay, but even he could see from the look of her eyes that she was still not entirely convinced. "Anyway, let's move on to something else. Have you managed to find signs of life around here?"

"There's a house a mile up the road. We can check it out. See if there's a car there that we can take."

"Good," said the Viper, his hand going straight to his neck, which didn't go unnoticed by the psychic. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Is there something wrong with your neck now?" she asked. "Or are you just _hungry _again?"

"_Damn, she guessed right again. . ."_ Randy thought as he moved his hand. "Yeah, I'm hungry, and it's not for human food. I need to feed soon, and there's not that much around here to feed on."

"Then let's get over to the house then," said Amanda. Randy could only look at her in silence. "What? If we get to the house, you can feed on whoever we find there - not any children please; I must put my foot down on that one. I can wipe their minds so that they would have no idea we were even there to begin with, and then we can finally be on our merry way to Pittsburgh. Doesn't that sound good to you?"

"It does, actually," said Randy as he conceded. "Except for the part about the possibility of me feeding on children. I may be a cold-blooded killer, but I absolutely draw the line at feeding on children. I feed on adults, and on occasion, animals, that's all."

"Good to know. Now then, let's go!"

Before she could even take five steps, Randy had her in his arms, holding her like a groom would hold his bride. "Um, what the fuck are you doing Randy?"

"I'm going to run us over to the house. With my speed, we'll be there in less than 30 seconds flat," said Randy, his nose becoming filled with the psychic's citrus-like scent. He found it quite pleasant, and before Amanda could even say another word, he ran, stopping right in front of a large, two-story house with a porch that wrapped all around the building. "Tada, we're here."

"Damn, and in a blink of an eye too," Amanda mumbled as she was finally set down on her heeled feet. Her eyes instantly went to the two cars in the driveway. "Oh look! There's choices!"

"A Jeep SUV and an old, beat up pickup truck. Yeah, I'm gonna go with the car that's not likely to break down in the middle of the road anytime soon," said Randy as he walked up the porch steps. "I smell two distinct scents. One man, one woman."

"A couple. They're asleep upstairs, and they're the only one's home. They have a daughter, but she's studying abroad."

"Is it easier for you to go into someone's mind when they're asleep?" Randy asked as he tried the front door, finding it completely unlocked.

"Most of the time," she said as she followed him into the house, stepping into the dark, but quaint looking foyer. "So, are you just going to climb upstairs, head for the bedroom, and just suck the blood of your unsuspecting victim, or _victims_?"

"No; that just sounds _crude_," said Randy as he walked over to a nearby table with a dish full of keys. "I was hoping you would use your powers to take control of one their minds, have him or her walk down here, and then I could feed."

"So, basically, you want me to bring your meal to you."

"Yes, if you can," said Randy, picking up the keys for the Jeep from the dish bowl as he spoke. "If it's not too much trouble for you that is."

"Sheesh, have faith Mr. Vampire. Your meal will be here soon."

As she said that, footsteps could be heard shuffling along upstairs. Randy's eyes went to the top of the staircase, where a man who looked to be in his mid-50s appeared, stepping out from his bedroom. He was dressed in a gray short-sleeved shirt and matching gray pants. However, his green eyes were got the most attention, since the vacant look in them showed that he was under Amanda's control. "He's all yours."

"Thanks," said the vampire as his victim finally walked down the stairs. When he reached ground level, Randy walked over to the shorter man and brought a hand to his neck, angling his head until his neck was prone before him. "You know, you don't have to watch."

"I'm fine," said Amanda, her voice rather indignant. "Now feed! The faster you finish here, the faster we can get back on the road."

Randy resisted the urge to roll his eyes at that one. "As you command."

Amanda watched with emerging fascination as Randy's fangs descended to their full length, like two pearly white daggers ready to strike. Wasting no time, he plunged his fangs right into the other man's jugular and took what he needed, sucking up the red, life-sustaining liquid from the vein before ceasing when he had his fill. "Okay, you can send him back upstairs now."

"What about the puncture marks?"

"A vampire's saliva has healing properties. It's not as potent as Kelly's or a trained healer's own abilities, but it'll get the job done. My leftover spit should leave no trace of the bite by daybreak." said the Viper as the man he fed from walked back upstairs, still in his trance. "You think he'll have any inkling to what has transpired here tonight?"

"Nope; once he wakes up, if he still feels any pain, he'll think he hurt his neck turning it the wrong way or something. I guarantee it," said Amanda, a confident look dotting her face as she looked at the door. "So, on to Pittsburgh?"

"Yeah," said Randy. "On to Pittsburgh."

**Please review!**


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